Temptation
Temptation
Brenda Jackson
Selected praise forNew York TimesandUSA TODAYbestselling authorBrenda Jackson
“Brenda Jackson writes romance that sizzles and
characters you fall in love with.”
—New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Lori Foster
“Jackson’s trademark ability to weave multiple
characters and side stories together makes shocking
truths all the more exciting.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Possibly [the] sexiest entry in the Westmoreland
series … Jackson has the sexiest cowboy to
ever ride the range.”
—RT Book Reviews on A Wife for a Westmoreland
“Jackson’s characters are wonderful, strong, colorful
and hot enough to burn the pages.”
—RT Book Reviews on Westmoreland’s Way
“.The kind of sizzling, heart-tugging story Brenda
Jackson is famous for.”
—RT Book Reviews on Spencer’s Forbidden Passion
“This is entertainment at its best.”
—RT Book Reviews on Star of His Heart
Dear Readers,
I am honored to once again participate in a MILLIONAIRE’S CLUB continuity.
No two people needed each other more than Zeke Travers and Sheila Hopkins, and getting the couple to realize that fact was both a challenge and a joy. Zeke and Sheila’s story is a special one, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. And I’m always excited when I can reunite my readers with characters from past books, such as Darius and Summer from One Night with the Wealthy Rancher.
I want to thank all the other five authors who are a part of this continuity. I enjoyed working with each of you.
Happy reading!
Brenda Jackson
About the Author
BRENDS JACKSON is a die “heart” romantic who married her childhood sweetheart and still proudly wears the “going steady” ring he gave her when she was fifteen. Because she’s always believed in the power of love, Brenda’s stories always have happy endings. In her reallife love story, Brenda and her husband of thirty-eight years live in Jacksonville, Florida, and have two sons.
A New York Times bestselling author of more than seventy-five romance titles, Brenda is a recent retiree who now divides her time between family, writing and traveling with Gerald. You may write Brenda at PO Box 28267, Jacksonville, Florida 32226, USA, by e-mail at WriterBJackson@aol.com or visit her website at www.brendajackson.net.
Temptation
Brenda Jackson
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
To the love of my life, Gerald Jackson, Sr.
To the cast and crew of Truly Everlasting—the Movie, this one is especially for you! Thanks for all your hard work!
Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would increase abundantly.
—Job 8:7 KJV
One
Some days it didn’t pay to get out of bed.
Unless you had a tall, dark, handsome and naked man waiting in your kitchen to pour you a hot cup of coffee before sitting you in his lap to feed you breakfast. Sheila Hopkins smiled at such a delicious fantasy before squinting against the November sun that was almost blinding her through the windshield of her car.
And the sad thing was that she had awakened in a good mood. But all it had taken to spoil her day was a call from her sister that morning telling her she wasn’t welcome to visit her and her family in Atlanta after all.
That message had hurt, but Sheila really should not have been surprised. What had she expected from her older sister from her father’s first marriage? The same sister who’d always wished she hadn’t existed? Definitely not any show of sisterly love at this late stage. If she hadn’t shown any in Sheila’s twenty-seven years, why had she assumed her sister would begin showing any now? Not her sister who had the perfect life with a husband who owned his own television station in Atlanta and who had two beautiful children and was pregnant with her third.
And if that very brief and disappointing conversation with Lois wasn’t bad enough, she had immediately gotten a call from the hospital asking that she come in on her off day because they were shorthanded. And of course, being the dedicated nurse that she was, she had agreed to do so. Forget the fact she had planned to spend the day working in her garden. She didn’t have a life, so did it really matter?
Sheila drew in a deep breath when she brought her car to a stop at a traffic light. She couldn’t help glancing over at the man in the sports car next to her. She couldn’t tell how the rest of him looked because she could only see his profile from the shoulders up, but even that looked good. And as if he’d known she was checking him out, he glanced her way. Her breath caught in her throat and her flesh felt tingly all over. He had such striking features.
They were so striking she had to blink to make sure they were real. Um … a maple-brown complexion, close-cut black hair, dark brown eyes and a chiseled jaw. And as she continued to stare at him, her mind mechanically put his face on the naked body of the tall, handsome man whom she would have loved to have found in her kitchen this morning. She inwardly chuckled. Neither she nor her kitchen would have been able to handle all the heat her imaginary lover would generate.
She saw his head move and realized he had nodded over at her. Instinctively, she nodded back. When his lips curved into a sensual smile, she quickly forced her gaze ahead. And when the traffic light changed, she pressed down on the gas, deciding to speed up a little. The last thing she wanted was to give the guy the impression she was flirting with him, no matter how good he looked. She had learned quickly that not all nicely wrapped gifts contained something that was good for you. Crawford had certainly proven that.
As she got off the exit that led to the hospital, she couldn’t get rid of the thought that she didn’t know there were men who looked like him living in Royal, Texas. Not that she knew all the men in town, mind you. But she figured someone like him would definitely stand out. After all, Royal was a rather small community. And what if she had run into him again, then what?
Nothing.
She didn’t have the time or the inclination to get involved with a man. She’d done that in the past and the outcome hadn’t been good, which was why she had moved to Royal from Dallas last year. Moving to Royal had meant a fresh start for her. Although, Sheila knew that where she lived was only part of the solution. She had reached the conclusion that a woman didn’t need to be involved with a no-good man to have trouble. A woman could do bad all by herself. And she of all people was living proof of that.
Ezekiel Travers chuckled as he watched the attractive woman take off as though she was going to a fire or something. Hell, she wasn’t the only one, he thought as he watched her car turn off the interstate at the next exit. Whoever was trying to ruin his best friend, Bradford Price’s, reputation had taken things a little too far. According to the phone call he’d received earlier from Brad, the blackmailer had made good on his threat. Someone had left a baby on the doorstep of the Texas Cattlemen’s Club with a note that Brad was the baby’s father.
Grabbing his cell phone the moment it began to ring, he knew who the caller was before answering it. “Yeah, Brad?”
“Zeke, where are you?”
“I’m only a few minutes away. And you can believe I’ll be getting to the bottom of this.”
“I don’t know what kind of sick joke someone is trying to play on me, but I swear to you, that baby isn’t mine.”
Zeke nodded. “And a paternity test can prove that easily, Brad, so calm down.”
He had no reason not to believe his best friend about the baby not being his. Brad wouldn’t lie about something like that. He and Brad had gotten to be the best of friends while roommates at the University of Texas. After college Brad had returned to Royal to assist in his family’s banking empire.
Actually, it had been Brad who suggested Zeke relocate to Royal. He’d made the suggestion during one of their annual all-guys trip to Vegas last year, after Zeke had mentioned his desire to leave Austin and to move to a small town.
Zeke had earned a small fortune and a great reputation as one of the best security consultants in all of Texas. Now he could live anywhere he wanted to, and take his pick of cases.
And it had been Brad who’d connected Zeke with Darius Franklin, another private investigator in Royal who owned a security service and who just happened to be looking for a partner. That had prompted Zeke to fly to Royal. He’d immediately fallen in love with the town and he saw becoming a business partner with Darius a win-win situation. That had been six months ago. When he’d moved to town, he hadn’t known that his first case would begin before he could get settled in good, and that his first client would be none other than his best friend.
“I bet Abigail is behind this.”
Brad’s accusations interrupted Zeke’s thoughts. Abigail Langley and Brad were presently in a heated battle to win the presidency of the Texas Cattlemen’s Club.
“You have no proof of that and so far I haven’t been able to find a link between Ms. Langley and those blackmail letters you’ve received, Brad. But you can bet if she’s connected, I’ll expose her. Now, sit tight, I’m on my way.”
He clicked off the phone knowing to tell Brad to sit tight was a waste of time. Zeke let out a deep sigh. Brad had begun receiving blackmail letters five months ago. The thought nagged Zeke’s mind that maybe if he had been on top of his game and solved the case months ago, it would not have gotten this far and some kid would not have been abandoned at the club.
He of all people knew how that felt. At thirty-three he could still feel the sting of abandonment. Although his own mother hadn’t left him on anyone’s doorstep, she had left him with her sister and kept on trucking. She hadn’t shown up again until sixteen years later. It had been his last year of college and she’d stuck around just long enough to see if he had a chance in the NFL.
He pushed that hurtful time of his life to the back of his mind to concentrate on the problem at hand. If leaving that baby at the TCC with a note claiming she was Brad’s kid was supposed to be a joke, then it wasn’t funny. And Zeke intended to make sure he and Brad had the last laugh when they exposed the person responsible for such a callous act.
Once Sheila had reached her floor at the hospital, it became evident why they’d called her in. A couple of nurses were out sick and the E.R. was swarming with patients with symptoms ranging from the flu to a man who’d almost lost his finger while chopping down a tree in his front yard. There had also been several minor car accidents.
At least something good had resulted from one of the accidents. A man thinking his girlfriend’s injuries were worse than they were, had rushed into the E.R. and proposed. Even Sheila had to admit it had been a very romantic moment. Some women had all the luck.
“So you came in on your off day, uh?”
Sheila glanced at her coworker and smiled. Jill Lanier was a nurse she’d met on her first day at Royal Memorial and they’d become good friends. When she’d moved to Royal she hadn’t known a soul, but that had been fine. She was used to being alone. That was the story of her life.
She was about to answer Jill, when the sound of a huge wail stopped her. “What the heck?”
She turned around and saw two police officers walk in carrying a screaming baby. Both she and Jill hurried over to the officers. “What’s going on, Officers?” she asked the two men.
One of the officers, the one holding the baby, shook his head. “We don’t know why she’s crying,” he said in frustration. “Someone left her on the doorstep of the Texas Cattlemen’s Club and we were told to bring her here.”
Sheila had heard all about the Texas Cattlemen’s Club, which consisted of a group of men who considered themselves the protectors of Texas, and whose members consisted of the wealthiest men in Texas. One good thing was that the TCC was known to help a number of worthwhile causes in the community. Thanks to them, there was a new cancer wing at the hospital.
Jill took the baby and it only screamed louder. “The TCC? Why would anyone do something like that?”
“Who knows why people abandon their kids,” the other officer said. It was apparent he was more than happy to pass the screaming baby on to someone else. However, the infant, who looked to be no more than five months old, was screaming even louder now. Jill, who was a couple of years younger than Sheila and single and carefree, gave them a what-am-I-supposed-to-do-now look as she rocked the baby in her arms.
“And there’s a note that’s being handed over to Social Services claiming Bradford Price is the father.”
Sheila lifted a brow. She didn’t know Bradford Price personally, but she had certainly heard of him. His family were blueblood society types. She’d heard they’d made millions in banking.
“Is someone from Social Services on their way here?” Sheila asked, raising her voice to be heard over the crying baby.
“Yes. Price is claiming the baby isn’t his. There has to be a paternity test done.”
Sheila nodded, knowing that could take a couple of days, possibly even a week.
“And what are we supposed to do with her until then?” Jill asked as she continued to rock the baby in her arms, trying to get her quiet but failing to do so.
“Keep her here,” one of the officers responded. He was backing up, as if he was getting ready to make a run for it. “A woman from Social Services is on her way with everything you’ll need. The kid doesn’t have a name. at least one wasn’t given with the note left with her.”
The other officer, the one who’d been carrying the baby, spoke up. “Look, ladies, we have to leave. She threw up on me, so I need to swing by my place and change clothes.”
“What about your report?” Sheila called out to the two officers who were rushing off.
“It’s completed already and like I said, a woman from Social Services is on her way,” the first officer said, before both men quickly exited through the revolving glass doors.
“I can’t believe they did that,” Jill said with a disgruntled look on her face. “What are we going to do with her? One thing for certain, this kid has a nice set of lungs.”
Sheila smiled. “Follow procedure and get her checked out. There might be a medical reason why she’s crying. Let’s page Dr. Phillips.”
“Hey, let me page Dr. Phillips. It’s your turn to hold her.” Before Sheila could say anything, Jill suddenly plopped the baby in her arms.
“Hey, hey, things can’t be that bad, sweetie,” Sheila crooned down at the baby as she adjusted her arms to make sure she was holding her right.
Other than the times she worked in the hospital nursery, she’d never held a baby, and rarely came in contact with one. Lois had two kids and was pregnant with another, yet Sheila had only seen her five-year-old niece and three-year-old nephew twice. Her sister had never approved of their father’s marriage to Sheila’s mother, and Sheila felt she had been the one to pay for it. Lois, who was four years older than Sheila, had been determined never to accept her father’s other child. Over the years, Sheila had hoped her attitude toward her would change, but so far it hadn’t.
Pushing thoughts of Lois from her mind, Sheila continued to smile down at the baby. And as if on cue the little girl stared up at Sheila with the most gorgeous pair of hazel eyes, and suddenly stopped crying. In fact, she smiled, showing dimples in both cheeks.
Sheila couldn’t help chuckling. “What are you laughing at, baby-doll? Do I look funny or something?” She was rewarded with another huge smile from the baby. “You’re such a pretty little thing, all bright and full of sunshine. I think I’ll call you Sunnie until we find out your real name.”
“Dr. Phillips is on his way and I’m needed on the fourth floor,” Jill said, making a dash toward the elevator. “How did you get her to stop crying, Sheila?” she asked before stepping on the elevator.
Sheila shrugged and glanced back at the baby, who was still smiling up at her. “I guess she likes me.”
“Apparently she does,” a deep, husky male voice said from behind them.
Sheila turned around and her gaze collided with the most gorgeous set of brown eyes she’d ever seen on a man. They were bedroom eyes. The kind that brought to mind silken sheets and passion. But this wasn’t the first time she had looked into those same eyes.
She immediately knew where she’d seen them before as her gaze roamed over his features. Recognition appeared in his gaze the moment it hit hers as well. Standing before her, looking sexier than any man had a right to look, was the guy who’d been in the car next to hers at the traffic light. He was the man who’d given her a flirtatious smile before she’d deliberately sped off to ditch him.
Evidently that hadn’t done any good, since he was here, standing before her in vivid living color.
Two
This was the second time today he’d seen this woman, Zeke thought. Just as before, he thought she looked good … even wearing scrubs. Nothing could hide the wavy black hair that came to her shoulders, the light brown eyes and luscious café-au-lait skin.
He wondered if anyone ever told her she could be a very delicious double for actress Sanaa Lathan. The woman before him was just a tad shorter than the actress, but in his book she was just as curvy. And she was a nurse. Hell, she could take his temperature any time and any place. He could even suggest she take it now, because there was no doubt in his mind looking at her was making it rise.
“May I help you?”
He blinked and swallowed deeply. “Yes, that baby you’re holding …”
She narrowed her eyes and clutched the baby closer to her breast in a protective stance. “Yes, what about her?”
“I want to find out everything there is about her,” he said.
She lifted an arched brow. “And you are …?”
He gave what he hoped was a charming smile. “Zeke Travers, private investigator.”
Sheila opened her mouth to speak, when a deep, male voice intruded behind her. “Zeke Travers! Son of a gun! With Brad Price as quarterback, you as split end and Chris Richards as wide receiver, that was UT’s best football season. I recall them winning a national championship title that year. Those other teams didn’t stand a chance with you three. Someone mentioned you had moved to Royal.”
She then watched as Dr. Warren Phillips gave the man a huge bear hug. Evidently they knew each other, and as she listened further, she was finding out quite a lot about the handsome stranger.
“Yes, I moved to town six months ago,” Zeke was saying. “Austin was getting too big for me. I’ve decided to try small-town life for a while. Brad convinced me Royal was the place,” he said, grinning. “And I was able to convince Darius Franklin he needed a partner.”
“So you joined forces with Darius over at Global Securities?”
“Yes, and things are working out great so far. Darius is a good man and I really like this town. In fact, I like it more and more each day.” His gaze then shifted to her and her gaze locked with his as it had done that morning.
The clearing of Dr. Phillips’s throat reminded them they weren’t alone.
“So, what brings you to Royal Memorial, Zeke?” Dr. Phillips asked, and it was evident to Sheila that Dr. Phillips had picked up on the man’s interest in her.
“That baby she’s holding. It was left abandoned at the TCC today with a note claiming Brad’s the father. And I intend to prove that he’s not.”
“In that case,” Dr. Phillips said, “I think we need to go into that private examination room over there and check this baby out.”
A short while later Dr. Phillips slid his stethoscope into the pocket of his lab coat as he leaned back against the table. “Well, this young lady is certainly in good health.”
He chuckled and then added, “And she certainly refused to let anyone hold her other than you, Nurse Hopkins. If you hadn’t been present and within her reach, it would have been almost impossible for me to examine her.”
Sheila laughed as she held the baby to her while glancing down at the infant. “She’s beautiful. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to abandon her.”
“Well, it happened,” Zeke said.
A tingling sensation rode up her spine with the comment and she was reminded that Zeke Travers was in the examination room with them. It was as if he refused to let the baby out of his sight.
She turned slightly. “What makes you so sure she’s not Bradford Price’s child, Mr. Travers? I recall running into Mr. Price a time or two and he also has hazel eyes.”
He narrowed his gaze. “So do a million other people in this country, Ms. Hopkins.”
Evidently he didn’t like being questioned about the possibility. So she turned to Dr. Phillips. “Did that social worker who came by while you were examining the baby say what will happen to Sunnie?” she asked.
Dr. Phillips lifted a brow. “Sunnie?”
“Yes,” Sheila said, smiling. “I thought she was a vision of sunshine the moment I looked at her. And since no one knows her name I thought Sunnie would fit. Sounds better than Jane Doe,” she added.
“I agree,” Dr. Phillips said, chuckling. “And the social worker, Ms. Talbert, is as baffled as everyone else, especially since Brad says the baby isn’t his.”
“She’s not his,” Zeke said, inserting himself into the conversation again. “Brad’s been receiving blackmail letters for five months now, threatening to do something like this unless he paid up.”
Zeke rubbed the back of his neck. “I told him to ignore the letters while I looked into it. I honestly didn’t think the person would carry out their threats if Brad didn’t pay up. Evidently, I was wrong.”
And that’s what continued to bother him the most, Zeke thought as he glanced over at the baby. He should have nipped this nasty business in the bud long ago. And what Ms. Hopkins said was true, because he’d noted it himself. The baby had hazel eyes, and not only were they hazel, they were the same shade of hazel as Brad’s.
He’d asked Brad if there was any chance the baby could be his, considering the fact Brad was a known playboy. But after talking to Brad before coming over here, and now that he knew the age of the baby, Zeke was even more convinced Brad wasn’t the father. Warren had confirmed the baby’s age as five months and Brad had stated he hadn’t slept with any woman over the past eighteen months.
“To answer your question, Nurse Hopkins,” Dr. Phillips said, breaking into Zeke’s thoughts, “Ms. Talbert wants to wait to see what the paternity test reveals. I agreed that we can keep the baby here until then.”
“Here?”
“Yes, that would be best until the test results comes back, that is unless Brad has a problem participating in the test,” Dr. Phillips said, glancing over at Zeke.
“Brad knows that it’s for the best, and he will cooperate any way he can,” Zeke acknowledged.
“But it doesn’t seem fair for Sunnie to have to stay here at the hospital. She’s in perfect health,” Sheila implored. “Ms. Talbert has indicated the test results might take two weeks to come back.”
She then glared over at Zeke. “Whether the baby is officially his or not, I would think your client would want the best for Sunnie until her parentage is proven or disproven.”
Zeke crossed his arms over his chest. “So what do you suggest, Ms. Hopkins? I agree staying here isn’t ideal for the baby, but the only other option is for her to get turned over to Social Services. If that happens she’ll go into foster care and will get lost in the system when it’s proven my client is not her father.”
Sheila nibbled on her bottom lip, not having a response to give him. She glanced down at the baby she held in her arms. For whatever reason, Sunnie’s mother hadn’t wanted her and it didn’t seem fair for her to suffer because of it. She knew how it felt not to be wanted.
“I might have an idea that might work, Nurse Hopkins, granted you agree to go along with it,” Dr. Phillips said. “And I’ll have to get Ms. Talbert to agree to it, as well.”
“Yes?” she said, wondering what his idea was.
“A few years ago the wife of one of my colleagues, Dr. Webb, was hit with a similar incident when someone left a baby on her doorstep before they were married. Because Winona grew up in foster care herself, she hadn’t wanted the baby to end up the same way. To make a long story short, Winona and Dr. Webb ended up marrying and keeping the baby to make sure it didn’t get lost in the system.”
Sheila nodded. “So what are you suggesting?”
Dr. Phillips smiled. “That you become Sunnie’s emergency foster parent until everything is resolved. I believe I’ll be able to convince Ms. Talbert to go along with it, and given the fact the Prices are huge benefactors to this hospital, as well as to a number of other nonprofit organizations, I think it would be in everyone’s best interest that the baby’s welfare remain a top priority.”
Sheila looked shocked. “Me? A foster parent! I wouldn’t know what to do with a baby.”
“You couldn’t convince me of that, Ms. Hopkins. The baby won’t let anyone else touch her and you seem to be a natural with her,” Zeke said, seeing the merits of what Dr. Phillips proposed. “Besides, you’re a nurse, someone who is used to taking care of people.”
Although Brad swore the baby wasn’t his, he would still be concerned with the baby’s health and safety until everything was resolved. And what Zeke just said was true. He thought the woman was a natural with the baby, and the baby had gotten totally attached to her. He had a feeling Ms. Hopkins was already sort of attached to the baby, as well.
“And if you’re concerned as to how you’d be able to handle both your job and the baby, I propose that the hospital agrees to give you a leave of absence during the time that the child is in your care. My client will be more than happy to replace your salary,” Zeke said.
“I think that would be an excellent idea,” Warren said. “One I think I could push past the chief of staff. The main thing everyone should be concerned about is Sunnie’s well-being.”
Sheila couldn’t help agreeing. But her? A foster parent? “How long do you think I’ll have to take care of her?” she asked, looking down at Sunnie, who was still smiling up at her.
“No more than a couple of weeks, if even that long,” Zeke said. “The results of the paternity test should be back by then and we’ll know how to proceed.”
Sheila nibbled her bottom lip, when Sunnie reached and grabbed hold of a lock of her hair, seemingly forcing Sheila to look down at her—into her beautiful hazel eyes, while she made a lot of cheerful baby sounds. At that moment Sheila knew she would do it. Sunnie needed a temporary home and she would provide her with one. It was the least she could do, and deep down she knew it was something that she wanted to do. This was the first time she’d felt someone truly, really needed her.
She glanced up at both men to see they were patiently waiting for her answer. She drew in a deep breath. “Yes. I would be happy to be Sunnie’s emergency foster parent.”
After removing his jacket, Zeke slid into the seat of his car and leaned back as he gazed at the entrance to the hospital. He felt good about Sheila Hopkins agreeing to take on the role of foster parent. That way he would know the baby was being well cared for while he turned up the heat on the investigation to clear Brad’s name.
He intended to pursue each and every lead. He would not leave a stone, no matter how small, unturned. He intended to get this potential scandal under total control before it could go any further.
Now if he could control his attraction to Sheila Hopkins. The woman was definitely temptation with a capital T. Being in close quarters with her, even with Warren in the room, had been pure torture. She was a looker, but it was clear she didn’t see herself that way, and he couldn’t help wondering, why not? He hadn’t seen a ring on her finger and, when he’d hung back to speak with Warren in private, the only thing his friend could tell him was that she was a model employee, caring to a fault, dependable and intelligent.
Warren had also verified she was single and had moved from Dallas last year. But still, considering everything, Zeke felt it wouldn’t hurt to do a background check on her, just to be on the safe side. The last thing he wanted was for her to be someone who’d be tempted to sell this story to the tabloids. That was the last thing Brad needed. His best friend was depending on him to bring an end to this nightmare, and he would.
Zeke was about to turn the ignition in his car, when he glanced through the windshield to see Sheila Hopkins. She was walking quickly across the parking lot to the car he had seen her in that morning. She looked as if she was dashing off to fight a fire. Curious as to where she could be going in such a hurry, he got out of the car, walked swiftly to cross the parking lot and intercepted her before she could reach her vehicle.
She nearly yelled in fright when he stepped in front of her. “What do you think you’re doing?” she asked, covering her heart with the palm of her hand. “You just scared me out of my wits.”
“Sorry, but I saw you tearing across the parking lot. What’s the hurry?”
Sheila drew a deep breath to get her heart beating back normal in her chest. She looked up at Zeke Travers and couldn’t do anything about her stomach doing flips. It had been hard enough while in the examination room to stop her gaze from roaming all over him every chance it got.
“I’m leaving Sunnie in the hospital tonight while I go pick up the things I’ll need for her. I’m going to need a baby bed, diapers, clothes and all kinds of other items. I plan on shopping today and come back for her first thing in the morning once my house is ready.”
She paused a moment. “I hated leaving her. She started crying. I feel like I’m abandoning her.”
A part of Zeke was relieved to know she was a woman who would feel some sort of guilt in abandoning a child. His own mother had not. He drew in a deep breath as he remembered what Sheila Hopkins had said about needing to go shopping for all that baby stuff. He hadn’t thought of the extra expenses taking on a baby would probably cost her.
“Let me go with you to pick up the stuff. That way I can pay for it.”
She raised a brow. “Why would you want to do that?”
“Because whether or not Brad’s the father—which he’s not—he wants the baby taken care of and is willing to pay for anything she might need.” He hadn’t discussed it with Brad, but knew there wouldn’t be a problem. Brad was concerned for the baby’s welfare.
She seemed to be studying his features as if she was trying to decide if he was serious, Zeke thought. And then she asked, “You sure? I have to admit that I hadn’t worked all the baby expenses into my weekly budget, but if I need to get money out of my savings then I—”
“No, that won’t be necessary and Brad wouldn’t want it any other way and like I said, I’ll be glad to go with you and help.”
Sheila felt a tingling sensation in the pit of her stomach. The last thing she needed was Zeke Travers in her presence too long. “No, I’ll be able to manage things, but I appreciate the offer.”
“No, really, I insist. Why wouldn’t you want me to help? I’ll provide you with two extra hands.”
That wasn’t all he would be providing her with, she thought, looking at him. Besides the drop-dead gorgeous looks, at some point he had taken off his jacket to reveal the width of his shoulders beneath his white dress shirt. She also noticed the way his muscular thighs fit into a pair of dress slacks.
“We could leave your car here. I have a feeling you’ll want to come back and check on the baby later. We can go in my vehicle,” he added before she could respond to what he’d said.
She lifted a brow. “You have a two-seater.”
He chuckled. “Yes, but I also have a truck. And that’s what you’re going to need to haul something as big as a box containing a baby bed. And in order to haul the kid away from here you’re going to need a car seat tomorrow.”
Sheila tilted her head back and drew in a deep breath. Had she bit off more than she could chew? She hadn’t thought of all that. She needed to make a list and not work off the top of her head. And he was right about her needing a truck and wanting to return tonight to check on Sunnie. The sound of her crying had followed Sheila all the way to the elevator. She hated leaving her, but she had to prepare her house for Sunnie’s visit.
“Ms. Hopkins?”
She looked back at Zeke Travers. “Fine, Mr. Travers, I’ll accept your generosity. If you’re sure it’s not going out of your way.”
He smiled. “I’m not going out of my way, I assure you. Like I said, Brad would want what’s best for the baby even if she isn’t his.”
She arched a brow. “You certainly seem so sure of that.”
“I am. Now, it’s going to be my job in addition to making sure the baby is safe and well cared for, to find out who’s trying to nail him with this and to clear his name.”
Zeke paused a moment and stared down at her. “And speaking of names, I suggest you call me Zeke, instead of Mr. Travers.”
She smiled. “Why, is Mr. Travers what they call your father?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
Sheila’s heart skipped a beat when she realized what he’d said and what he’d meant by saying it. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything. The last guy who told me not to call him by his last name said the reason was that’s what people called his daddy.”
“No harm done, and I hope you don’t mind if I call you Sheila.”
“No, I don’t mind.”
“Good. Come on, Sheila, my car is parked over here,” he said.
Sheila felt her stomach twist in all kinds of knots when she heard her name flow from his lips. And as she walked beside Zeke across the parking lot, a number of misgivings flooded her mind. For one thing, she wasn’t sure what role he intended to play with her becoming Sunnie’s foster parent. She understood Bradford Price was his client and he intended to clear the man’s name. But she had to think beyond that. If Bradford wasn’t Sunnie’s father then who was? Where was the mother and why had the baby been abandoned with a note claiming Bradford was the father when he said he wasn’t?
There were a lot of questions and she had a feeling the man walking beside her intended to have answers for all of them soon enough. She also had a feeling he was the sort of person who got things accomplished when he set his mind to it. And she could tell he intended to investigate this case to the fullest.
His main concern might be on his friend, but hers was on Sunnie. What would happen to her if it was proven Bradford wasn’t the child’s father? Would the man cease caring about Sunnie’s welfare? Would it matter to him that she would then become just a statistic in the system?
He might not care, but she would, and at that moment she vowed to protect Sunnie any way she could.
Three
While they were on their way to the store to pick up items for the baby, Sheila clicked off the phone and sighed deeply as she glanced over at Zeke. “I just talked to one of the nurses in Pediatrics. Sunnie cried herself to sleep,” she said.
There was no need telling him that she knew just how that felt. She was reminded of how many nights as a child she had lain in bed and cried herself to sleep because her mother was too busy trying to catch the next rich husband to spend any time with her. And her father, once he’d discovered what a gold digger Cassie Hopkins was, he hadn’t wasted time moving out and taking Lois with him and leaving her behind.
“That’s good to hear, Sheila,” Zeke responded.
There was another tingling sensation in the pit of her stomach. She couldn’t help it. It did something to her each and every time he pronounced her name. He said it with a deep Texas drawl that could send shivers all through her.
“So how long have you been living in Royal?” he asked.
She glanced over at him. “A year.” She knew from his conversation with Dr. Phillips that he had moved to town six months ago, so there was no need to ask him that. She also knew he’d come from Austin because he wanted to try living in a small city.
“You like it here?”
She nodded. “So far. The people are nice, but I spend a lot of my time at the hospital, so I still haven’t met all my neighbors, only those next door.”
She switched her gaze off him to look out the window at the homes and stores they passed. What she decided not to add was that other than working, and occasional trips to the market, she rarely left home. The people at the hospital had become her family Now that she’d agreed to a fourteen-day leave of absence, she would have her hands full caring for Sunnie, and a part of her actually looked forward to that.
“You’re smiling.”
She glanced back at him. Did the man notice every single thing? “Is it a crime?”
He chuckled. “No.”
The deep, husky rumble of his chuckle sent shivers sweeping through her again. And because she couldn’t help herself, when the car came to a stop at the traffic light she glanced back over at him and then wished she hadn’t done so. The slow smile that suddenly curved his lips warmed her all over.
“Now you’re the one smiling,” she pointed out.
“And is that a crime?”
Grinning, she shook her head. He’d made her see just how ridiculous her response to him had been. “No, it’s not.”
“Good. Because if I get arrested, Sheila, so do you. And it would be my request that we get put in the same jail cell.”
She told herself not to overreact to what he’d said. Of course he would try to flirt with her. He was a man. She’d gotten hit on by a number of doctors at the hospital as well as several police officers around town. Eventually, they found out what Zeke would soon discover. It was a waste of their time. She had written men off. When it came to the opposite sex, she preferred her space. The only reason she was with him now was because of Sunnie. She considered Zeke Travers as a means to an end.
When he exited off the expressway and moments later turned into a nice gated community, she was in awe of the large and spacious ranch-style homes that sat on at least thirty acres of land. She had heard about the Cascades, the section of Royal where the wealthy lived. He evidently was doing well in the P.I. business. “You live in this community?” she asked.
“Yes. I came from Austin on an apartment-hunting trip and ended up purchasing a house instead. I always wanted a lot of land and to own horses and figured buying in here was a good investment.”
She could just imagine, especially with the size of the ranch house whose driveway they were pulling into. The house had to be sitting almost six hundred or more feet back off the road. She could see a family of twelve living here and thought the place was definitely too large for just one person.
“How many acres is this?” she asked.
“Forty. I needed that much with the horses.”
“How many do you own?”
“Twelve now, but I plan to expand. I’ve hired several ranch hands to help me take care of things. And I ride every chance I get. What about you? Do you ride?”
She thought of her mother’s second and third husbands. They had owned horses and required that she know how to ride. “Yes, I know how to ride.”
He glanced at his watch. “It won’t take me long to switch vehicles,” he said, bringing the car to a stop. “You’re invited in if you like and you’re welcome to look around.”
“No, I’ll be fine waiting out here until you return,” she said.
He got out of the car and turned to her and smiled. “I don’t bite, you know.”
“Trust me, Zeke, if for one minute I thought you did, I wouldn’t be here.”
“So you think I’m harmless?” he asked, grinning.
“Not harmless but manageable. I’m sure all your focus will be on trying to figure out who wants to frame your friend. You don’t have time for anything else.”
He flashed a sexy smile. “Don’t be so sure of that, Sheila Hopkins.” He closed the door and she watched as he strolled up the walkway to his front door, thinking his walk was just as sexy as his smile.
Zeke unlocked his door and pushed it open. He had barely made it inside his house when the phone rang. Closing the door behind him, he pulled his cell phone off the clip on his belt. He checked the caller ID. “Yes, Brad?”
“You didn’t call. How was the baby?”
Zeke leaned up against the wall supporting the staircase. “She’s fine, but she cries a lot.”
“I noticed. And no one could get her to stop. Did they check her out to make sure nothing is wrong with her?”
Zeke smiled. “She was checked out. Just so happens that Warren Phillips was on duty and he’s the one who gave her a clean bill of health, although she still wanted to prove to everyone what a good set of lungs she had.”
“I’m glad she’s okay. I was worried about her.”
Zeke nodded. “Are you sure there’s nothing you want to tell me? I did happen to notice the kid does have your eyes.”
“Don’t get cute, Zeke. The kid isn’t mine. But she’s just a baby and I can’t help worrying about her.”
“Hey, man, I was just kidding, and I understand. I can’t help worrying about her, too. But we might have found a way where we don’t have to worry about her while I delve into my investigation.”
“And what way is that?”
“That way happens to be a nurse who works at Royal Memorial by the name of Sheila Hopkins. She’s the only one who can keep the baby quiet. It’s the weirdest thing. The kid screams at everyone else, but she’s putty in Sheila Hopkins’s hands. She actually smiles instead of crying.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No, I saw her smile myself. Warren suggested that Sheila keep Sunnie for the time being,” Zeke explained.
“Sunnie?”
“Yes, that’s the name Sheila gave the kid for now. She said it sounded better than Jane Doe and I agree.”
There was a slight pause and then Brad asked, “And this Sheila Hopkins agreed to do it?”
“Yes, until the results of the paternity test come back, so the sooner you can do your part the better.”
“I’ve made an appointment to have it done tomorrow.”
“Good. And I’m going shopping with Sheila for baby stuff. She’s single and doesn’t have any kids of her own, so she’ll need all new stuff, which I’m billing you for, by the way.”
“Fine.” There was a pause, and then Brad said, “I was thinking that perhaps it would be best if I hired a nanny and keep the baby instead of—”
“Hold up. Don’t even consider it. We don’t want anyone seeing your kindness as an admission of guilt, Brad. The next thing everyone will think is that the baby is really yours.”
“Yes, but what do you know about this nurse? You said she’s single. She might be pretty good at taking care of patients, but are you sure she knows how to take care of a baby?”
“I’m not sure about anything regarding Sheila Hopkins, other than what Warren told me. She’s worked at the hospital about a year. But don’t worry, I’ve already taken measures to have her checked out. Roy is doing a thorough background check on Sheila Hopkins as we speak.”
Suddenly Zeke heard a noise behind him and turned around. Sheila was leaning against his door with her arms crossed over her chest. The look on her face let him know she had heard some, if not all, of his conversation with Brad and wasn’t happy about it.
“Brad, I need to go. I’ll call you back later.” He then hung up the phone.
Before he could open his mouth, Sheila placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him. “Please take me back to the hospital to get my car. There’s no way I’m going anywhere with a man who doesn’t trust me.”
Then she turned and walked out the door and slammed it shut behind her.
Sheila was halfway down the walkway, when Zeke ran behind her and grabbed her arm. “Let me go,” she said and angrily snatched it back.
“We need to talk and I prefer we don’t do it out here,” Zeke said.
She glared up at him. “And I prefer we don’t do it anywhere. I have nothing to say to you. How dare you have me investigated like I’m some sort of criminal.”
“I never said you were a criminal.”
“Then why the background check, Zeke?”
He rubbed his hands down his face. “I’m a P.I., Sheila. I investigate people. Nothing personal, but think about it. Sunnie will be in your care for two weeks. I don’t know you personally and I need to know she’s not only in a safe environment but with someone both Brad and I can trust. Would you not want me to check out the person whose care she’s been placed in?”
Sheila sighed deeply, knowing that she would. “But I’d never do anything to harm her.”
“I believe that, but I have to make sure. All I’m doing is a basic background check to make certain you don’t have any past criminal history.” After a moment he said, “Come on in, let’s talk inside.”
She thought about his request then decided it might be best if they did talk inside after all. She had a tendency to raise her voice when she was angry about something.
“Fine.” She stalked off ahead of him.
By the time Zeke followed her inside the house, she was in the middle of the living room pacing, and he could tell she was still mad. He quietly closed the door behind him and leaned against it, folding his arms across his chest, with one booted heel over the other, as he watched her. Again he was struck by just how beautiful she was.
For some reason he was more aware of it now than before. There was fire in her eyes, annoyance in her steps, and the way she was unconsciously swaying her hips was downright sensual. She had taken center stage, was holding it and he was a captive audience of one.
Then she stopped pacing and placed her hands on her hips to face him. She glared him down. The woman could not have been more than five-four at the most. Yet even with his height of six-four she was making him feel shorter. Damn. He hadn’t meant for her to overhear his conversation with Brad. Hadn’t she told him she hadn’t wanted to come in?
“You were supposed to stay outside. You said you didn’t want to come in,” he blurted out for some reason.
He watched as she stiffened her spine even more. “And that gave you the right to talk about me?”
His heart thudded deeply in his chest. The last thing he had time or the inclination to do was deal with an emotional female. “Look, Sheila, like I said before, I am a private investigator. My job is to know people and I don’t like surprises. Anyone who comes in contact with the baby for any long period of time will get checked out by me.”
He rubbed his hand down his face and released a frustrated sigh. “Look. It’s not that I was intentionally questioning your character. I was mainly assuring my client that a child that someone is claiming to be his has been placed in the best of care until the issue is resolved by way of a paternity test. There’s no reason for you to take it personally. It’s not about you. It’s about Sunnie. Had you been the president’s mother-in-law I’d still do a background check. My client is a very wealthy man and my job is to protect him at all costs, which is why I intend to find out who is behind this.”
He paused for a moment. “You do want what’s best for Sunnie, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
“So do I, and so does Brad. That baby was abandoned, and the last thing I would want is for her not to have some stability in her life over the next couple of weeks. She deserves that at least. Neither of us know what will happen after that.”
His words gave Sheila pause and deflated her anger somewhat. Although she didn’t want to admit it, what he said was true. It wasn’t about her but about Sunnie. She should be everyone’s main concern. Background checks were routine and she would have expected that one be done if they’d hired a nanny for Sunnie. She didn’t know Zeke like he didn’t know her, and with that suspicious mind of his—which came with the work he did—he would want to check her out regardless of the fact that Dr. Phillips had spoken highly of her. But that didn’t mean she had to like the fact Zeke had done it.
“Fine,” she snapped. “You’ve done your job. Now, take me back to the hospital so I can get my car.”
“We’re going shopping for the baby stuff as planned, Sheila. You still need my truck, so please put your emotions aside and agree to do what’s needed to be done.”
“Emotions!” Before thinking about it, she quickly crossed the room to stand in front of him.
“Yes, emotions.”
His voice had lowered and he reached out and tilted her chin up. “Has anyone ever told you how sexy you look when you’re angry?”
And before she could take another breath, he lowered his mouth to hers.
Why did her lips have to be so soft?
Why did she have to taste so darn good?
And why wasn’t she resisting him?
Those questions rammed through Zeke’s mind as his heart banged brutally in his chest at the feel of his mouth on Sheila’s. He pushed those questions and others to the back of his mind as he deepened the kiss, took it to another level—although his senses were telling him that was the last thing he needed to do.
He didn’t heed their advice. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Sheila’s waist to bring her closer to the fit of him as he feasted on her mouth. He knew he wasn’t the only one affected by the kiss when he felt her hardened nipples pressing into his chest. He could tell she hadn’t gotten kissed a lot, at least not to this degree, and she seemed unsure of herself, but he remedied that by taking control. She moaned and he liked the sound of it and definitely like the feel of her plastered against him.
He could go on kissing her for hours … days … months. The very thought gave him pause and he gradually pulled his mouth from hers. Hours, days and months meant an involvement with a woman and he didn’t do involvements. He did casual affairs and nothing more. And the last thing he did was mix business with pleasure.
Sheila’s first coherent thought after Zeke released her lips was that she had never, not even in her wildest dreams, been kissed like that. She still felt tingling in her toes and her entire body; her every limb and muscle felt like pure jelly, which was probably the reason she was quivering like the dickens inside.
She slowly drew air into her lungs, held it a moment before slowly letting it out. She could still taste him on her tongue. How had he gotten so entrenched there? She quickly answered her own question when she remembered how his tongue had taken hold of hers, mated with it and sucked on it.
She muttered a couple colorful expletives under her breath when she gazed up at him. She should not have allowed him to kiss her like that. She’d be the first to admit she had enjoyed it, but still. The eyes staring back at her were dark and heated as if he wanted a repeat performance. She cleared her throat. “Why did you kiss me?”
Why had he kissed her? Zeke asked himself that same question as he took a step back. He needed to put distance between them or else he would be tempted to kiss her again.
“You were talking,” he said, grabbing the first excuse he could think of.
“No, I wasn’t.”
He lifted a brow. Hadn’t she been? He tried to backtrack and recall just what was taking place between them before she’d stormed across the room to get in his face. When he remembered, he shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. You would have said something you regretted and I decided to wipe the words off your lips.”
Sheila frowned. “I suggest that you don’t ever do it again.”
That slow, sexy smile that she’d seen earlier returned, and instead of saying he wouldn’t kiss her again, he crossed his arms over his chest and asked, “So, what brought you inside? You said you were going to wait outside.”
He had changed subjects and she decided to follow his lead. “Your car began beeping loudly as if it was going to blow up or something.”
His smile widened to emphasize the dimples in his cheek. “That’s my fax machine. It’s built into my console in a way that’s not detectable.”
She shook her head. “What are you, a regular James Bond?”
“No. Bond is a secret agent. I’m a private investigator. There’s a big difference.” He glanced at his watch. “If you’re ready, we can leave. My truck is this way.”
“What about the fax that was coming through?”
“I have a fax in the truck as well. It will come in on both.”
“Oh.”
She followed him through a spacious dining room and kitchen that was stylishly decorated. The living room was also fashionably furnished. Definitely more so than hers. “You have a nice home.”
“Thanks, and if you’re talking about the furniture and decorating, I can’t take credit. It was a model home and I bought it as is. I saw it. I liked it. I got it.”
He saw it, he liked it and he got it. She wondered if that was how he operated with everything in his life.
“Where do you want me to put these boxes?” Zeke asked, carrying two under his arms. One contained a baby car seat and the other a baby bath. He hadn’t wanted to tell her, but he thought instead of purchasing just the basics that she’d gotten carried away. The kid would only be with her for two weeks at the most, not two years.
“You can set them down anywhere. I’m going to stay up late tonight putting stuff up.”
After placing the boxes in a corner of the room, he glanced around. The place was small, but it suited her. Her furniture was nice and her two-story home was neat as a pin. He could imagine how it was going to look with baby stuff cluttering it up.
“I’m going to call the hospital again to check on Sunnie.”
He bit down on his lips, forcing back a reminder that she had called the hospital less than an hour ago. And before that, while they had been shopping in Target for all the items on her list, she had called several times then as well. It was a good thing she knew the nurses taking care of the baby, otherwise they would probably consider her a nuisance.
While she was on the phone, he went back outside to get more boxes out of the truck. Although she didn’t live in a gated community, it was in a nice section of town, and he felt good about that. And he noticed she had an alarm system, but he would check the locks on her doors anyway. Until he discovered the identity of the person who’d tried to extort money from Brad, he wasn’t taking any chances. What if the blackmailer tried to kidnap the baby back?
He had made several trips back and forth into the house before Sheila had finally gotten off the phone. He glanced over at her. “Is anything wrong?”
She shook her head. “No. Sunnie awakened for a short while, but she’s gone back to sleep now.”
Hell, he should hope so. He glanced at his watch. It was after nine o’clock. He should know since they’d closed the store. He figured that kid should be asleep by now. Didn’t she have a bedtime?
“Okay, all the boxes are in, what do you need me to do now?”
Sheila glanced over at him, tempted to tell him what he could do was leave. He was unnerving her. He’d done so while they’d been shopping for the baby items. There was something about a good-looking man that could get to a woman each and every time, and she’d gotten her share with him today. Several times while walking down the aisles of the store, they had brushed against each other, and although both had tried downplaying the connection, she’d felt it and knew he’d felt it as well. And he smelled good. Most of the men at the hospital smelled sanitized. She was reminded of a real man’s scent while around him. And then there was that kiss she was trying hard to forget. However, she was finding it difficult to do so each and every time she looked at his lips. His mouth had certainly done a number on her.
She thought every woman should spend the day shopping with a man for baby items at least once in her lifetime. Sheila couldn’t help remembering the number of times they’d needed assistance from a store clerk. Finally, they’d been assigned their own personal clerk, probably to get them out the store sooner. She was sure the employees wanted to go home at some point that night. And she couldn’t forget how the clerk assumed they were married, although neither of them was wearing a wedding ring. Go figure.
“You can take me to get my car now,” she said, tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear and trying not to stare at him. She shouldn’t be surprised that he practically dominated her living room by standing in the middle of it. Everything else seemed to fade to black. He was definitely the main attraction with his height, muscular build and overall good looks.
“What about the baby bed?”
She quirked a brow. “What about it?”
“When are you going to put it together?”
She nibbled on her bottom lip, thinking that was a good question. It was one of the largest items she’d purchased and the clerk had turned down her offer to buy the one on display. That certainly would have made things easier for her. Instead, he’d sold her one in a box that included instructions that would probably look like Greek to her.
“Later tonight.”
A smile curved his lips. “I should hope so if you plan on bringing the baby home tomorrow.”
She wrapped her arms around herself. She hadn’t told him yet, but she planned on bringing Sunnie home tonight. It was getting so bad with her crying that the nurses hated it when she woke up. Her crying would wake all the other babies. She had talked to the head nurse, who would be contacting Dr. Phillips to make sure Sunnie could be released into her care and custody tonight. She was just waiting for a callback.
Zeke studied Sheila. Maybe his brain was overreacting, but he had a feeling she was keeping something from him. Maybe it was because she was giving a lot away. Like the way she had wrapped her arms around herself. Or the nervous look in her eyes. Or it could be the way she was nibbling on the lips he’d kissed earlier that day. A kiss he wished he could forget but couldn’t. For some reason his mouth had felt right locked to hers.
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Is there something you want to tell me?”
She dropped her arms to her sides. “Sunnie is keeping the other babies up.”
That didn’t surprise him. He’d heard the kid cry. She had a good set of lungs. “She’s sleeping now, right?”
“Yes, but as you know, she probably won’t sleep through the night.”
No, he didn’t know that. “Why not?”
“Most babies don’t. That’s normal. The older they get the longer they will sleep through the night. In Sunnie’s case, she probably sleeps a lot during the day and is probably up for at least part of the night.”
“And you’re prepared for that?”
“I have to be.”
It occurred to him the sacrifices she would be making. His concentration had been so focused on the baby, he hadn’t thought about the changes keeping Sunnie would make in her life. When she’d been on the phone and he’d been hauling in the boxes, he had taken a minute to pull his fax. It had been the background check on her. The firm he used was thorough and he’d held her life history in his hand while holding that one sheet of paper.
She was twenty-seven and every hospital she’d worked in since college had given her a glowing recommendation. She was a law-abiding citizen. Had never even received a speeding ticket. One year she had even received a medal for heroism from the Dallas Fire Department because she’d rushed inside a burning house to help save an elderly man, and then provided him with medical services until paramedics got there. That unselfish act had made national news.
On a more personal side, he knew she had a sister whom she didn’t visit often. She had a mother whom she visited once or twice a year. Her mother was divorced from husband number five, a CEO of a resort in Florida. Her father had died five years ago. Her only sister, who was four years older, was from her father’s first marriage. Sheila had been the product of the old man’s second marriage.
“Tell me what else I can do to help,” he said.
She released a deep sigh. “I want to bring Sunnie here tonight. The nurses are contacting Dr. Phillips for his approval. I hope to get a call from him any minute. Either way, whether I get Sunnie tonight or tomorrow, I’ll need the bed, so if you really don’t mind, I’d appreciate it if you would put it together. I’m not good at doing stuff like that.”
He nodded. “No problem.” He began rolling up his sleeves. “You wouldn’t happen to have a beer handy, would you?”
She smiled. “Yes, I’ll go grab one for you.”
And then she took off and he was left standing while wondering why he couldn’t stop thinking about the time he had kissed her.
“We’re glad you’re here,” one of the nurses in Pediatrics said anxiously. “We have her packed up and ready to go,” she added, smiling brightly.
“She’s been expressing herself again, eh?” Zeke asked, chuckling.
Sheila glanced over at Zeke, wondering why he was there. It hadn’t taken him any time to put up the baby bed, and he’d taken the time to help with the other things as well. Except for the fact Sunnie was a girl and the room was painted blue, everything else was perfect. By the time they’d left, it had looked like a genuine nursery and she couldn’t wait for Sunnie to see it.
That brought her back to the question she’d wondered about earlier. Why was he here? She figured he would drop her off and keep moving. She had a baby car seat, so as far as she was concerned, she was ready to go. But she couldn’t dismiss the nervous tension in her stomach.
Sunnie had clung to her earlier today when the police officers had first brought her in. What if she no longer had that attachment to her and treated her like the others and continue to cry all over the place? She drew in a deep breath, wanting to believe that that special connection between them was still there.
“Where is she?” she asked the nurse.
“Down that hall. Trust me, you’ll hear her as soon as you clear the waiting area. You won’t be able to miss it. All of us are wearing homemade earplugs.”
Sheila knew the nurse had said it as a joke, but she didn’t see anything funny. She was ready to get Sunnie and go home. Home. Already she was thinking of her place as the baby’s home. Before tonight, to her it was just a place to eat and sleep. Now, taking Sunnie there had her thinking differently.
True to what the nurse had said, Sunnie could be heard the moment Sheila and Zeke passed the waiting room. He put his hand on her arm for them to stop walking. He studied her features. “What’s wrong? Why are you so tense?”
How had he known? She released a nervous sigh. “I’ve been gone over eight hours. What if Sunnie isn’t attached to me anymore? What if she sees me and continues to cry?”
Zeke stared at her. The answer seemed quite obvious to him. It didn’t matter. The kid was going home with her regardless. But he could see it was important for this encounter with the baby not to constitute a rejection. He wondered why he cared. He reached out and took her hand in his and began rubbing it when it felt cold.
“Hey, she’s going to remember you. She liked you too much not to. If you recall, I was here when she was clinging to you like you were her lifeline, her protector and the one person she thinks is there for her.”
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Brenda Jackson
Selected praise forNew York TimesandUSA TODAYbestselling authorBrenda Jackson
“Brenda Jackson writes romance that sizzles and
characters you fall in love with.”
—New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Lori Foster
“Jackson’s trademark ability to weave multiple
characters and side stories together makes shocking
truths all the more exciting.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Possibly [the] sexiest entry in the Westmoreland
series … Jackson has the sexiest cowboy to
ever ride the range.”
—RT Book Reviews on A Wife for a Westmoreland
“Jackson’s characters are wonderful, strong, colorful
and hot enough to burn the pages.”
—RT Book Reviews on Westmoreland’s Way
“.The kind of sizzling, heart-tugging story Brenda
Jackson is famous for.”
—RT Book Reviews on Spencer’s Forbidden Passion
“This is entertainment at its best.”
—RT Book Reviews on Star of His Heart
Dear Readers,
I am honored to once again participate in a MILLIONAIRE’S CLUB continuity.
No two people needed each other more than Zeke Travers and Sheila Hopkins, and getting the couple to realize that fact was both a challenge and a joy. Zeke and Sheila’s story is a special one, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. And I’m always excited when I can reunite my readers with characters from past books, such as Darius and Summer from One Night with the Wealthy Rancher.
I want to thank all the other five authors who are a part of this continuity. I enjoyed working with each of you.
Happy reading!
Brenda Jackson
About the Author
BRENDS JACKSON is a die “heart” romantic who married her childhood sweetheart and still proudly wears the “going steady” ring he gave her when she was fifteen. Because she’s always believed in the power of love, Brenda’s stories always have happy endings. In her reallife love story, Brenda and her husband of thirty-eight years live in Jacksonville, Florida, and have two sons.
A New York Times bestselling author of more than seventy-five romance titles, Brenda is a recent retiree who now divides her time between family, writing and traveling with Gerald. You may write Brenda at PO Box 28267, Jacksonville, Florida 32226, USA, by e-mail at WriterBJackson@aol.com or visit her website at www.brendajackson.net.
Temptation
Brenda Jackson
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
To the love of my life, Gerald Jackson, Sr.
To the cast and crew of Truly Everlasting—the Movie, this one is especially for you! Thanks for all your hard work!
Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would increase abundantly.
—Job 8:7 KJV
One
Some days it didn’t pay to get out of bed.
Unless you had a tall, dark, handsome and naked man waiting in your kitchen to pour you a hot cup of coffee before sitting you in his lap to feed you breakfast. Sheila Hopkins smiled at such a delicious fantasy before squinting against the November sun that was almost blinding her through the windshield of her car.
And the sad thing was that she had awakened in a good mood. But all it had taken to spoil her day was a call from her sister that morning telling her she wasn’t welcome to visit her and her family in Atlanta after all.
That message had hurt, but Sheila really should not have been surprised. What had she expected from her older sister from her father’s first marriage? The same sister who’d always wished she hadn’t existed? Definitely not any show of sisterly love at this late stage. If she hadn’t shown any in Sheila’s twenty-seven years, why had she assumed her sister would begin showing any now? Not her sister who had the perfect life with a husband who owned his own television station in Atlanta and who had two beautiful children and was pregnant with her third.
And if that very brief and disappointing conversation with Lois wasn’t bad enough, she had immediately gotten a call from the hospital asking that she come in on her off day because they were shorthanded. And of course, being the dedicated nurse that she was, she had agreed to do so. Forget the fact she had planned to spend the day working in her garden. She didn’t have a life, so did it really matter?
Sheila drew in a deep breath when she brought her car to a stop at a traffic light. She couldn’t help glancing over at the man in the sports car next to her. She couldn’t tell how the rest of him looked because she could only see his profile from the shoulders up, but even that looked good. And as if he’d known she was checking him out, he glanced her way. Her breath caught in her throat and her flesh felt tingly all over. He had such striking features.
They were so striking she had to blink to make sure they were real. Um … a maple-brown complexion, close-cut black hair, dark brown eyes and a chiseled jaw. And as she continued to stare at him, her mind mechanically put his face on the naked body of the tall, handsome man whom she would have loved to have found in her kitchen this morning. She inwardly chuckled. Neither she nor her kitchen would have been able to handle all the heat her imaginary lover would generate.
She saw his head move and realized he had nodded over at her. Instinctively, she nodded back. When his lips curved into a sensual smile, she quickly forced her gaze ahead. And when the traffic light changed, she pressed down on the gas, deciding to speed up a little. The last thing she wanted was to give the guy the impression she was flirting with him, no matter how good he looked. She had learned quickly that not all nicely wrapped gifts contained something that was good for you. Crawford had certainly proven that.
As she got off the exit that led to the hospital, she couldn’t get rid of the thought that she didn’t know there were men who looked like him living in Royal, Texas. Not that she knew all the men in town, mind you. But she figured someone like him would definitely stand out. After all, Royal was a rather small community. And what if she had run into him again, then what?
Nothing.
She didn’t have the time or the inclination to get involved with a man. She’d done that in the past and the outcome hadn’t been good, which was why she had moved to Royal from Dallas last year. Moving to Royal had meant a fresh start for her. Although, Sheila knew that where she lived was only part of the solution. She had reached the conclusion that a woman didn’t need to be involved with a no-good man to have trouble. A woman could do bad all by herself. And she of all people was living proof of that.
Ezekiel Travers chuckled as he watched the attractive woman take off as though she was going to a fire or something. Hell, she wasn’t the only one, he thought as he watched her car turn off the interstate at the next exit. Whoever was trying to ruin his best friend, Bradford Price’s, reputation had taken things a little too far. According to the phone call he’d received earlier from Brad, the blackmailer had made good on his threat. Someone had left a baby on the doorstep of the Texas Cattlemen’s Club with a note that Brad was the baby’s father.
Grabbing his cell phone the moment it began to ring, he knew who the caller was before answering it. “Yeah, Brad?”
“Zeke, where are you?”
“I’m only a few minutes away. And you can believe I’ll be getting to the bottom of this.”
“I don’t know what kind of sick joke someone is trying to play on me, but I swear to you, that baby isn’t mine.”
Zeke nodded. “And a paternity test can prove that easily, Brad, so calm down.”
He had no reason not to believe his best friend about the baby not being his. Brad wouldn’t lie about something like that. He and Brad had gotten to be the best of friends while roommates at the University of Texas. After college Brad had returned to Royal to assist in his family’s banking empire.
Actually, it had been Brad who suggested Zeke relocate to Royal. He’d made the suggestion during one of their annual all-guys trip to Vegas last year, after Zeke had mentioned his desire to leave Austin and to move to a small town.
Zeke had earned a small fortune and a great reputation as one of the best security consultants in all of Texas. Now he could live anywhere he wanted to, and take his pick of cases.
And it had been Brad who’d connected Zeke with Darius Franklin, another private investigator in Royal who owned a security service and who just happened to be looking for a partner. That had prompted Zeke to fly to Royal. He’d immediately fallen in love with the town and he saw becoming a business partner with Darius a win-win situation. That had been six months ago. When he’d moved to town, he hadn’t known that his first case would begin before he could get settled in good, and that his first client would be none other than his best friend.
“I bet Abigail is behind this.”
Brad’s accusations interrupted Zeke’s thoughts. Abigail Langley and Brad were presently in a heated battle to win the presidency of the Texas Cattlemen’s Club.
“You have no proof of that and so far I haven’t been able to find a link between Ms. Langley and those blackmail letters you’ve received, Brad. But you can bet if she’s connected, I’ll expose her. Now, sit tight, I’m on my way.”
He clicked off the phone knowing to tell Brad to sit tight was a waste of time. Zeke let out a deep sigh. Brad had begun receiving blackmail letters five months ago. The thought nagged Zeke’s mind that maybe if he had been on top of his game and solved the case months ago, it would not have gotten this far and some kid would not have been abandoned at the club.
He of all people knew how that felt. At thirty-three he could still feel the sting of abandonment. Although his own mother hadn’t left him on anyone’s doorstep, she had left him with her sister and kept on trucking. She hadn’t shown up again until sixteen years later. It had been his last year of college and she’d stuck around just long enough to see if he had a chance in the NFL.
He pushed that hurtful time of his life to the back of his mind to concentrate on the problem at hand. If leaving that baby at the TCC with a note claiming she was Brad’s kid was supposed to be a joke, then it wasn’t funny. And Zeke intended to make sure he and Brad had the last laugh when they exposed the person responsible for such a callous act.
Once Sheila had reached her floor at the hospital, it became evident why they’d called her in. A couple of nurses were out sick and the E.R. was swarming with patients with symptoms ranging from the flu to a man who’d almost lost his finger while chopping down a tree in his front yard. There had also been several minor car accidents.
At least something good had resulted from one of the accidents. A man thinking his girlfriend’s injuries were worse than they were, had rushed into the E.R. and proposed. Even Sheila had to admit it had been a very romantic moment. Some women had all the luck.
“So you came in on your off day, uh?”
Sheila glanced at her coworker and smiled. Jill Lanier was a nurse she’d met on her first day at Royal Memorial and they’d become good friends. When she’d moved to Royal she hadn’t known a soul, but that had been fine. She was used to being alone. That was the story of her life.
She was about to answer Jill, when the sound of a huge wail stopped her. “What the heck?”
She turned around and saw two police officers walk in carrying a screaming baby. Both she and Jill hurried over to the officers. “What’s going on, Officers?” she asked the two men.
One of the officers, the one holding the baby, shook his head. “We don’t know why she’s crying,” he said in frustration. “Someone left her on the doorstep of the Texas Cattlemen’s Club and we were told to bring her here.”
Sheila had heard all about the Texas Cattlemen’s Club, which consisted of a group of men who considered themselves the protectors of Texas, and whose members consisted of the wealthiest men in Texas. One good thing was that the TCC was known to help a number of worthwhile causes in the community. Thanks to them, there was a new cancer wing at the hospital.
Jill took the baby and it only screamed louder. “The TCC? Why would anyone do something like that?”
“Who knows why people abandon their kids,” the other officer said. It was apparent he was more than happy to pass the screaming baby on to someone else. However, the infant, who looked to be no more than five months old, was screaming even louder now. Jill, who was a couple of years younger than Sheila and single and carefree, gave them a what-am-I-supposed-to-do-now look as she rocked the baby in her arms.
“And there’s a note that’s being handed over to Social Services claiming Bradford Price is the father.”
Sheila lifted a brow. She didn’t know Bradford Price personally, but she had certainly heard of him. His family were blueblood society types. She’d heard they’d made millions in banking.
“Is someone from Social Services on their way here?” Sheila asked, raising her voice to be heard over the crying baby.
“Yes. Price is claiming the baby isn’t his. There has to be a paternity test done.”
Sheila nodded, knowing that could take a couple of days, possibly even a week.
“And what are we supposed to do with her until then?” Jill asked as she continued to rock the baby in her arms, trying to get her quiet but failing to do so.
“Keep her here,” one of the officers responded. He was backing up, as if he was getting ready to make a run for it. “A woman from Social Services is on her way with everything you’ll need. The kid doesn’t have a name. at least one wasn’t given with the note left with her.”
The other officer, the one who’d been carrying the baby, spoke up. “Look, ladies, we have to leave. She threw up on me, so I need to swing by my place and change clothes.”
“What about your report?” Sheila called out to the two officers who were rushing off.
“It’s completed already and like I said, a woman from Social Services is on her way,” the first officer said, before both men quickly exited through the revolving glass doors.
“I can’t believe they did that,” Jill said with a disgruntled look on her face. “What are we going to do with her? One thing for certain, this kid has a nice set of lungs.”
Sheila smiled. “Follow procedure and get her checked out. There might be a medical reason why she’s crying. Let’s page Dr. Phillips.”
“Hey, let me page Dr. Phillips. It’s your turn to hold her.” Before Sheila could say anything, Jill suddenly plopped the baby in her arms.
“Hey, hey, things can’t be that bad, sweetie,” Sheila crooned down at the baby as she adjusted her arms to make sure she was holding her right.
Other than the times she worked in the hospital nursery, she’d never held a baby, and rarely came in contact with one. Lois had two kids and was pregnant with another, yet Sheila had only seen her five-year-old niece and three-year-old nephew twice. Her sister had never approved of their father’s marriage to Sheila’s mother, and Sheila felt she had been the one to pay for it. Lois, who was four years older than Sheila, had been determined never to accept her father’s other child. Over the years, Sheila had hoped her attitude toward her would change, but so far it hadn’t.
Pushing thoughts of Lois from her mind, Sheila continued to smile down at the baby. And as if on cue the little girl stared up at Sheila with the most gorgeous pair of hazel eyes, and suddenly stopped crying. In fact, she smiled, showing dimples in both cheeks.
Sheila couldn’t help chuckling. “What are you laughing at, baby-doll? Do I look funny or something?” She was rewarded with another huge smile from the baby. “You’re such a pretty little thing, all bright and full of sunshine. I think I’ll call you Sunnie until we find out your real name.”
“Dr. Phillips is on his way and I’m needed on the fourth floor,” Jill said, making a dash toward the elevator. “How did you get her to stop crying, Sheila?” she asked before stepping on the elevator.
Sheila shrugged and glanced back at the baby, who was still smiling up at her. “I guess she likes me.”
“Apparently she does,” a deep, husky male voice said from behind them.
Sheila turned around and her gaze collided with the most gorgeous set of brown eyes she’d ever seen on a man. They were bedroom eyes. The kind that brought to mind silken sheets and passion. But this wasn’t the first time she had looked into those same eyes.
She immediately knew where she’d seen them before as her gaze roamed over his features. Recognition appeared in his gaze the moment it hit hers as well. Standing before her, looking sexier than any man had a right to look, was the guy who’d been in the car next to hers at the traffic light. He was the man who’d given her a flirtatious smile before she’d deliberately sped off to ditch him.
Evidently that hadn’t done any good, since he was here, standing before her in vivid living color.
Two
This was the second time today he’d seen this woman, Zeke thought. Just as before, he thought she looked good … even wearing scrubs. Nothing could hide the wavy black hair that came to her shoulders, the light brown eyes and luscious café-au-lait skin.
He wondered if anyone ever told her she could be a very delicious double for actress Sanaa Lathan. The woman before him was just a tad shorter than the actress, but in his book she was just as curvy. And she was a nurse. Hell, she could take his temperature any time and any place. He could even suggest she take it now, because there was no doubt in his mind looking at her was making it rise.
“May I help you?”
He blinked and swallowed deeply. “Yes, that baby you’re holding …”
She narrowed her eyes and clutched the baby closer to her breast in a protective stance. “Yes, what about her?”
“I want to find out everything there is about her,” he said.
She lifted an arched brow. “And you are …?”
He gave what he hoped was a charming smile. “Zeke Travers, private investigator.”
Sheila opened her mouth to speak, when a deep, male voice intruded behind her. “Zeke Travers! Son of a gun! With Brad Price as quarterback, you as split end and Chris Richards as wide receiver, that was UT’s best football season. I recall them winning a national championship title that year. Those other teams didn’t stand a chance with you three. Someone mentioned you had moved to Royal.”
She then watched as Dr. Warren Phillips gave the man a huge bear hug. Evidently they knew each other, and as she listened further, she was finding out quite a lot about the handsome stranger.
“Yes, I moved to town six months ago,” Zeke was saying. “Austin was getting too big for me. I’ve decided to try small-town life for a while. Brad convinced me Royal was the place,” he said, grinning. “And I was able to convince Darius Franklin he needed a partner.”
“So you joined forces with Darius over at Global Securities?”
“Yes, and things are working out great so far. Darius is a good man and I really like this town. In fact, I like it more and more each day.” His gaze then shifted to her and her gaze locked with his as it had done that morning.
The clearing of Dr. Phillips’s throat reminded them they weren’t alone.
“So, what brings you to Royal Memorial, Zeke?” Dr. Phillips asked, and it was evident to Sheila that Dr. Phillips had picked up on the man’s interest in her.
“That baby she’s holding. It was left abandoned at the TCC today with a note claiming Brad’s the father. And I intend to prove that he’s not.”
“In that case,” Dr. Phillips said, “I think we need to go into that private examination room over there and check this baby out.”
A short while later Dr. Phillips slid his stethoscope into the pocket of his lab coat as he leaned back against the table. “Well, this young lady is certainly in good health.”
He chuckled and then added, “And she certainly refused to let anyone hold her other than you, Nurse Hopkins. If you hadn’t been present and within her reach, it would have been almost impossible for me to examine her.”
Sheila laughed as she held the baby to her while glancing down at the infant. “She’s beautiful. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to abandon her.”
“Well, it happened,” Zeke said.
A tingling sensation rode up her spine with the comment and she was reminded that Zeke Travers was in the examination room with them. It was as if he refused to let the baby out of his sight.
She turned slightly. “What makes you so sure she’s not Bradford Price’s child, Mr. Travers? I recall running into Mr. Price a time or two and he also has hazel eyes.”
He narrowed his gaze. “So do a million other people in this country, Ms. Hopkins.”
Evidently he didn’t like being questioned about the possibility. So she turned to Dr. Phillips. “Did that social worker who came by while you were examining the baby say what will happen to Sunnie?” she asked.
Dr. Phillips lifted a brow. “Sunnie?”
“Yes,” Sheila said, smiling. “I thought she was a vision of sunshine the moment I looked at her. And since no one knows her name I thought Sunnie would fit. Sounds better than Jane Doe,” she added.
“I agree,” Dr. Phillips said, chuckling. “And the social worker, Ms. Talbert, is as baffled as everyone else, especially since Brad says the baby isn’t his.”
“She’s not his,” Zeke said, inserting himself into the conversation again. “Brad’s been receiving blackmail letters for five months now, threatening to do something like this unless he paid up.”
Zeke rubbed the back of his neck. “I told him to ignore the letters while I looked into it. I honestly didn’t think the person would carry out their threats if Brad didn’t pay up. Evidently, I was wrong.”
And that’s what continued to bother him the most, Zeke thought as he glanced over at the baby. He should have nipped this nasty business in the bud long ago. And what Ms. Hopkins said was true, because he’d noted it himself. The baby had hazel eyes, and not only were they hazel, they were the same shade of hazel as Brad’s.
He’d asked Brad if there was any chance the baby could be his, considering the fact Brad was a known playboy. But after talking to Brad before coming over here, and now that he knew the age of the baby, Zeke was even more convinced Brad wasn’t the father. Warren had confirmed the baby’s age as five months and Brad had stated he hadn’t slept with any woman over the past eighteen months.
“To answer your question, Nurse Hopkins,” Dr. Phillips said, breaking into Zeke’s thoughts, “Ms. Talbert wants to wait to see what the paternity test reveals. I agreed that we can keep the baby here until then.”
“Here?”
“Yes, that would be best until the test results comes back, that is unless Brad has a problem participating in the test,” Dr. Phillips said, glancing over at Zeke.
“Brad knows that it’s for the best, and he will cooperate any way he can,” Zeke acknowledged.
“But it doesn’t seem fair for Sunnie to have to stay here at the hospital. She’s in perfect health,” Sheila implored. “Ms. Talbert has indicated the test results might take two weeks to come back.”
She then glared over at Zeke. “Whether the baby is officially his or not, I would think your client would want the best for Sunnie until her parentage is proven or disproven.”
Zeke crossed his arms over his chest. “So what do you suggest, Ms. Hopkins? I agree staying here isn’t ideal for the baby, but the only other option is for her to get turned over to Social Services. If that happens she’ll go into foster care and will get lost in the system when it’s proven my client is not her father.”
Sheila nibbled on her bottom lip, not having a response to give him. She glanced down at the baby she held in her arms. For whatever reason, Sunnie’s mother hadn’t wanted her and it didn’t seem fair for her to suffer because of it. She knew how it felt not to be wanted.
“I might have an idea that might work, Nurse Hopkins, granted you agree to go along with it,” Dr. Phillips said. “And I’ll have to get Ms. Talbert to agree to it, as well.”
“Yes?” she said, wondering what his idea was.
“A few years ago the wife of one of my colleagues, Dr. Webb, was hit with a similar incident when someone left a baby on her doorstep before they were married. Because Winona grew up in foster care herself, she hadn’t wanted the baby to end up the same way. To make a long story short, Winona and Dr. Webb ended up marrying and keeping the baby to make sure it didn’t get lost in the system.”
Sheila nodded. “So what are you suggesting?”
Dr. Phillips smiled. “That you become Sunnie’s emergency foster parent until everything is resolved. I believe I’ll be able to convince Ms. Talbert to go along with it, and given the fact the Prices are huge benefactors to this hospital, as well as to a number of other nonprofit organizations, I think it would be in everyone’s best interest that the baby’s welfare remain a top priority.”
Sheila looked shocked. “Me? A foster parent! I wouldn’t know what to do with a baby.”
“You couldn’t convince me of that, Ms. Hopkins. The baby won’t let anyone else touch her and you seem to be a natural with her,” Zeke said, seeing the merits of what Dr. Phillips proposed. “Besides, you’re a nurse, someone who is used to taking care of people.”
Although Brad swore the baby wasn’t his, he would still be concerned with the baby’s health and safety until everything was resolved. And what Zeke just said was true. He thought the woman was a natural with the baby, and the baby had gotten totally attached to her. He had a feeling Ms. Hopkins was already sort of attached to the baby, as well.
“And if you’re concerned as to how you’d be able to handle both your job and the baby, I propose that the hospital agrees to give you a leave of absence during the time that the child is in your care. My client will be more than happy to replace your salary,” Zeke said.
“I think that would be an excellent idea,” Warren said. “One I think I could push past the chief of staff. The main thing everyone should be concerned about is Sunnie’s well-being.”
Sheila couldn’t help agreeing. But her? A foster parent? “How long do you think I’ll have to take care of her?” she asked, looking down at Sunnie, who was still smiling up at her.
“No more than a couple of weeks, if even that long,” Zeke said. “The results of the paternity test should be back by then and we’ll know how to proceed.”
Sheila nibbled her bottom lip, when Sunnie reached and grabbed hold of a lock of her hair, seemingly forcing Sheila to look down at her—into her beautiful hazel eyes, while she made a lot of cheerful baby sounds. At that moment Sheila knew she would do it. Sunnie needed a temporary home and she would provide her with one. It was the least she could do, and deep down she knew it was something that she wanted to do. This was the first time she’d felt someone truly, really needed her.
She glanced up at both men to see they were patiently waiting for her answer. She drew in a deep breath. “Yes. I would be happy to be Sunnie’s emergency foster parent.”
After removing his jacket, Zeke slid into the seat of his car and leaned back as he gazed at the entrance to the hospital. He felt good about Sheila Hopkins agreeing to take on the role of foster parent. That way he would know the baby was being well cared for while he turned up the heat on the investigation to clear Brad’s name.
He intended to pursue each and every lead. He would not leave a stone, no matter how small, unturned. He intended to get this potential scandal under total control before it could go any further.
Now if he could control his attraction to Sheila Hopkins. The woman was definitely temptation with a capital T. Being in close quarters with her, even with Warren in the room, had been pure torture. She was a looker, but it was clear she didn’t see herself that way, and he couldn’t help wondering, why not? He hadn’t seen a ring on her finger and, when he’d hung back to speak with Warren in private, the only thing his friend could tell him was that she was a model employee, caring to a fault, dependable and intelligent.
Warren had also verified she was single and had moved from Dallas last year. But still, considering everything, Zeke felt it wouldn’t hurt to do a background check on her, just to be on the safe side. The last thing he wanted was for her to be someone who’d be tempted to sell this story to the tabloids. That was the last thing Brad needed. His best friend was depending on him to bring an end to this nightmare, and he would.
Zeke was about to turn the ignition in his car, when he glanced through the windshield to see Sheila Hopkins. She was walking quickly across the parking lot to the car he had seen her in that morning. She looked as if she was dashing off to fight a fire. Curious as to where she could be going in such a hurry, he got out of the car, walked swiftly to cross the parking lot and intercepted her before she could reach her vehicle.
She nearly yelled in fright when he stepped in front of her. “What do you think you’re doing?” she asked, covering her heart with the palm of her hand. “You just scared me out of my wits.”
“Sorry, but I saw you tearing across the parking lot. What’s the hurry?”
Sheila drew a deep breath to get her heart beating back normal in her chest. She looked up at Zeke Travers and couldn’t do anything about her stomach doing flips. It had been hard enough while in the examination room to stop her gaze from roaming all over him every chance it got.
“I’m leaving Sunnie in the hospital tonight while I go pick up the things I’ll need for her. I’m going to need a baby bed, diapers, clothes and all kinds of other items. I plan on shopping today and come back for her first thing in the morning once my house is ready.”
She paused a moment. “I hated leaving her. She started crying. I feel like I’m abandoning her.”
A part of Zeke was relieved to know she was a woman who would feel some sort of guilt in abandoning a child. His own mother had not. He drew in a deep breath as he remembered what Sheila Hopkins had said about needing to go shopping for all that baby stuff. He hadn’t thought of the extra expenses taking on a baby would probably cost her.
“Let me go with you to pick up the stuff. That way I can pay for it.”
She raised a brow. “Why would you want to do that?”
“Because whether or not Brad’s the father—which he’s not—he wants the baby taken care of and is willing to pay for anything she might need.” He hadn’t discussed it with Brad, but knew there wouldn’t be a problem. Brad was concerned for the baby’s welfare.
She seemed to be studying his features as if she was trying to decide if he was serious, Zeke thought. And then she asked, “You sure? I have to admit that I hadn’t worked all the baby expenses into my weekly budget, but if I need to get money out of my savings then I—”
“No, that won’t be necessary and Brad wouldn’t want it any other way and like I said, I’ll be glad to go with you and help.”
Sheila felt a tingling sensation in the pit of her stomach. The last thing she needed was Zeke Travers in her presence too long. “No, I’ll be able to manage things, but I appreciate the offer.”
“No, really, I insist. Why wouldn’t you want me to help? I’ll provide you with two extra hands.”
That wasn’t all he would be providing her with, she thought, looking at him. Besides the drop-dead gorgeous looks, at some point he had taken off his jacket to reveal the width of his shoulders beneath his white dress shirt. She also noticed the way his muscular thighs fit into a pair of dress slacks.
“We could leave your car here. I have a feeling you’ll want to come back and check on the baby later. We can go in my vehicle,” he added before she could respond to what he’d said.
She lifted a brow. “You have a two-seater.”
He chuckled. “Yes, but I also have a truck. And that’s what you’re going to need to haul something as big as a box containing a baby bed. And in order to haul the kid away from here you’re going to need a car seat tomorrow.”
Sheila tilted her head back and drew in a deep breath. Had she bit off more than she could chew? She hadn’t thought of all that. She needed to make a list and not work off the top of her head. And he was right about her needing a truck and wanting to return tonight to check on Sunnie. The sound of her crying had followed Sheila all the way to the elevator. She hated leaving her, but she had to prepare her house for Sunnie’s visit.
“Ms. Hopkins?”
She looked back at Zeke Travers. “Fine, Mr. Travers, I’ll accept your generosity. If you’re sure it’s not going out of your way.”
He smiled. “I’m not going out of my way, I assure you. Like I said, Brad would want what’s best for the baby even if she isn’t his.”
She arched a brow. “You certainly seem so sure of that.”
“I am. Now, it’s going to be my job in addition to making sure the baby is safe and well cared for, to find out who’s trying to nail him with this and to clear his name.”
Zeke paused a moment and stared down at her. “And speaking of names, I suggest you call me Zeke, instead of Mr. Travers.”
She smiled. “Why, is Mr. Travers what they call your father?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
Sheila’s heart skipped a beat when she realized what he’d said and what he’d meant by saying it. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything. The last guy who told me not to call him by his last name said the reason was that’s what people called his daddy.”
“No harm done, and I hope you don’t mind if I call you Sheila.”
“No, I don’t mind.”
“Good. Come on, Sheila, my car is parked over here,” he said.
Sheila felt her stomach twist in all kinds of knots when she heard her name flow from his lips. And as she walked beside Zeke across the parking lot, a number of misgivings flooded her mind. For one thing, she wasn’t sure what role he intended to play with her becoming Sunnie’s foster parent. She understood Bradford Price was his client and he intended to clear the man’s name. But she had to think beyond that. If Bradford wasn’t Sunnie’s father then who was? Where was the mother and why had the baby been abandoned with a note claiming Bradford was the father when he said he wasn’t?
There were a lot of questions and she had a feeling the man walking beside her intended to have answers for all of them soon enough. She also had a feeling he was the sort of person who got things accomplished when he set his mind to it. And she could tell he intended to investigate this case to the fullest.
His main concern might be on his friend, but hers was on Sunnie. What would happen to her if it was proven Bradford wasn’t the child’s father? Would the man cease caring about Sunnie’s welfare? Would it matter to him that she would then become just a statistic in the system?
He might not care, but she would, and at that moment she vowed to protect Sunnie any way she could.
Three
While they were on their way to the store to pick up items for the baby, Sheila clicked off the phone and sighed deeply as she glanced over at Zeke. “I just talked to one of the nurses in Pediatrics. Sunnie cried herself to sleep,” she said.
There was no need telling him that she knew just how that felt. She was reminded of how many nights as a child she had lain in bed and cried herself to sleep because her mother was too busy trying to catch the next rich husband to spend any time with her. And her father, once he’d discovered what a gold digger Cassie Hopkins was, he hadn’t wasted time moving out and taking Lois with him and leaving her behind.
“That’s good to hear, Sheila,” Zeke responded.
There was another tingling sensation in the pit of her stomach. She couldn’t help it. It did something to her each and every time he pronounced her name. He said it with a deep Texas drawl that could send shivers all through her.
“So how long have you been living in Royal?” he asked.
She glanced over at him. “A year.” She knew from his conversation with Dr. Phillips that he had moved to town six months ago, so there was no need to ask him that. She also knew he’d come from Austin because he wanted to try living in a small city.
“You like it here?”
She nodded. “So far. The people are nice, but I spend a lot of my time at the hospital, so I still haven’t met all my neighbors, only those next door.”
She switched her gaze off him to look out the window at the homes and stores they passed. What she decided not to add was that other than working, and occasional trips to the market, she rarely left home. The people at the hospital had become her family Now that she’d agreed to a fourteen-day leave of absence, she would have her hands full caring for Sunnie, and a part of her actually looked forward to that.
“You’re smiling.”
She glanced back at him. Did the man notice every single thing? “Is it a crime?”
He chuckled. “No.”
The deep, husky rumble of his chuckle sent shivers sweeping through her again. And because she couldn’t help herself, when the car came to a stop at the traffic light she glanced back over at him and then wished she hadn’t done so. The slow smile that suddenly curved his lips warmed her all over.
“Now you’re the one smiling,” she pointed out.
“And is that a crime?”
Grinning, she shook her head. He’d made her see just how ridiculous her response to him had been. “No, it’s not.”
“Good. Because if I get arrested, Sheila, so do you. And it would be my request that we get put in the same jail cell.”
She told herself not to overreact to what he’d said. Of course he would try to flirt with her. He was a man. She’d gotten hit on by a number of doctors at the hospital as well as several police officers around town. Eventually, they found out what Zeke would soon discover. It was a waste of their time. She had written men off. When it came to the opposite sex, she preferred her space. The only reason she was with him now was because of Sunnie. She considered Zeke Travers as a means to an end.
When he exited off the expressway and moments later turned into a nice gated community, she was in awe of the large and spacious ranch-style homes that sat on at least thirty acres of land. She had heard about the Cascades, the section of Royal where the wealthy lived. He evidently was doing well in the P.I. business. “You live in this community?” she asked.
“Yes. I came from Austin on an apartment-hunting trip and ended up purchasing a house instead. I always wanted a lot of land and to own horses and figured buying in here was a good investment.”
She could just imagine, especially with the size of the ranch house whose driveway they were pulling into. The house had to be sitting almost six hundred or more feet back off the road. She could see a family of twelve living here and thought the place was definitely too large for just one person.
“How many acres is this?” she asked.
“Forty. I needed that much with the horses.”
“How many do you own?”
“Twelve now, but I plan to expand. I’ve hired several ranch hands to help me take care of things. And I ride every chance I get. What about you? Do you ride?”
She thought of her mother’s second and third husbands. They had owned horses and required that she know how to ride. “Yes, I know how to ride.”
He glanced at his watch. “It won’t take me long to switch vehicles,” he said, bringing the car to a stop. “You’re invited in if you like and you’re welcome to look around.”
“No, I’ll be fine waiting out here until you return,” she said.
He got out of the car and turned to her and smiled. “I don’t bite, you know.”
“Trust me, Zeke, if for one minute I thought you did, I wouldn’t be here.”
“So you think I’m harmless?” he asked, grinning.
“Not harmless but manageable. I’m sure all your focus will be on trying to figure out who wants to frame your friend. You don’t have time for anything else.”
He flashed a sexy smile. “Don’t be so sure of that, Sheila Hopkins.” He closed the door and she watched as he strolled up the walkway to his front door, thinking his walk was just as sexy as his smile.
Zeke unlocked his door and pushed it open. He had barely made it inside his house when the phone rang. Closing the door behind him, he pulled his cell phone off the clip on his belt. He checked the caller ID. “Yes, Brad?”
“You didn’t call. How was the baby?”
Zeke leaned up against the wall supporting the staircase. “She’s fine, but she cries a lot.”
“I noticed. And no one could get her to stop. Did they check her out to make sure nothing is wrong with her?”
Zeke smiled. “She was checked out. Just so happens that Warren Phillips was on duty and he’s the one who gave her a clean bill of health, although she still wanted to prove to everyone what a good set of lungs she had.”
“I’m glad she’s okay. I was worried about her.”
Zeke nodded. “Are you sure there’s nothing you want to tell me? I did happen to notice the kid does have your eyes.”
“Don’t get cute, Zeke. The kid isn’t mine. But she’s just a baby and I can’t help worrying about her.”
“Hey, man, I was just kidding, and I understand. I can’t help worrying about her, too. But we might have found a way where we don’t have to worry about her while I delve into my investigation.”
“And what way is that?”
“That way happens to be a nurse who works at Royal Memorial by the name of Sheila Hopkins. She’s the only one who can keep the baby quiet. It’s the weirdest thing. The kid screams at everyone else, but she’s putty in Sheila Hopkins’s hands. She actually smiles instead of crying.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No, I saw her smile myself. Warren suggested that Sheila keep Sunnie for the time being,” Zeke explained.
“Sunnie?”
“Yes, that’s the name Sheila gave the kid for now. She said it sounded better than Jane Doe and I agree.”
There was a slight pause and then Brad asked, “And this Sheila Hopkins agreed to do it?”
“Yes, until the results of the paternity test come back, so the sooner you can do your part the better.”
“I’ve made an appointment to have it done tomorrow.”
“Good. And I’m going shopping with Sheila for baby stuff. She’s single and doesn’t have any kids of her own, so she’ll need all new stuff, which I’m billing you for, by the way.”
“Fine.” There was a pause, and then Brad said, “I was thinking that perhaps it would be best if I hired a nanny and keep the baby instead of—”
“Hold up. Don’t even consider it. We don’t want anyone seeing your kindness as an admission of guilt, Brad. The next thing everyone will think is that the baby is really yours.”
“Yes, but what do you know about this nurse? You said she’s single. She might be pretty good at taking care of patients, but are you sure she knows how to take care of a baby?”
“I’m not sure about anything regarding Sheila Hopkins, other than what Warren told me. She’s worked at the hospital about a year. But don’t worry, I’ve already taken measures to have her checked out. Roy is doing a thorough background check on Sheila Hopkins as we speak.”
Suddenly Zeke heard a noise behind him and turned around. Sheila was leaning against his door with her arms crossed over her chest. The look on her face let him know she had heard some, if not all, of his conversation with Brad and wasn’t happy about it.
“Brad, I need to go. I’ll call you back later.” He then hung up the phone.
Before he could open his mouth, Sheila placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him. “Please take me back to the hospital to get my car. There’s no way I’m going anywhere with a man who doesn’t trust me.”
Then she turned and walked out the door and slammed it shut behind her.
Sheila was halfway down the walkway, when Zeke ran behind her and grabbed her arm. “Let me go,” she said and angrily snatched it back.
“We need to talk and I prefer we don’t do it out here,” Zeke said.
She glared up at him. “And I prefer we don’t do it anywhere. I have nothing to say to you. How dare you have me investigated like I’m some sort of criminal.”
“I never said you were a criminal.”
“Then why the background check, Zeke?”
He rubbed his hands down his face. “I’m a P.I., Sheila. I investigate people. Nothing personal, but think about it. Sunnie will be in your care for two weeks. I don’t know you personally and I need to know she’s not only in a safe environment but with someone both Brad and I can trust. Would you not want me to check out the person whose care she’s been placed in?”
Sheila sighed deeply, knowing that she would. “But I’d never do anything to harm her.”
“I believe that, but I have to make sure. All I’m doing is a basic background check to make certain you don’t have any past criminal history.” After a moment he said, “Come on in, let’s talk inside.”
She thought about his request then decided it might be best if they did talk inside after all. She had a tendency to raise her voice when she was angry about something.
“Fine.” She stalked off ahead of him.
By the time Zeke followed her inside the house, she was in the middle of the living room pacing, and he could tell she was still mad. He quietly closed the door behind him and leaned against it, folding his arms across his chest, with one booted heel over the other, as he watched her. Again he was struck by just how beautiful she was.
For some reason he was more aware of it now than before. There was fire in her eyes, annoyance in her steps, and the way she was unconsciously swaying her hips was downright sensual. She had taken center stage, was holding it and he was a captive audience of one.
Then she stopped pacing and placed her hands on her hips to face him. She glared him down. The woman could not have been more than five-four at the most. Yet even with his height of six-four she was making him feel shorter. Damn. He hadn’t meant for her to overhear his conversation with Brad. Hadn’t she told him she hadn’t wanted to come in?
“You were supposed to stay outside. You said you didn’t want to come in,” he blurted out for some reason.
He watched as she stiffened her spine even more. “And that gave you the right to talk about me?”
His heart thudded deeply in his chest. The last thing he had time or the inclination to do was deal with an emotional female. “Look, Sheila, like I said before, I am a private investigator. My job is to know people and I don’t like surprises. Anyone who comes in contact with the baby for any long period of time will get checked out by me.”
He rubbed his hand down his face and released a frustrated sigh. “Look. It’s not that I was intentionally questioning your character. I was mainly assuring my client that a child that someone is claiming to be his has been placed in the best of care until the issue is resolved by way of a paternity test. There’s no reason for you to take it personally. It’s not about you. It’s about Sunnie. Had you been the president’s mother-in-law I’d still do a background check. My client is a very wealthy man and my job is to protect him at all costs, which is why I intend to find out who is behind this.”
He paused for a moment. “You do want what’s best for Sunnie, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
“So do I, and so does Brad. That baby was abandoned, and the last thing I would want is for her not to have some stability in her life over the next couple of weeks. She deserves that at least. Neither of us know what will happen after that.”
His words gave Sheila pause and deflated her anger somewhat. Although she didn’t want to admit it, what he said was true. It wasn’t about her but about Sunnie. She should be everyone’s main concern. Background checks were routine and she would have expected that one be done if they’d hired a nanny for Sunnie. She didn’t know Zeke like he didn’t know her, and with that suspicious mind of his—which came with the work he did—he would want to check her out regardless of the fact that Dr. Phillips had spoken highly of her. But that didn’t mean she had to like the fact Zeke had done it.
“Fine,” she snapped. “You’ve done your job. Now, take me back to the hospital so I can get my car.”
“We’re going shopping for the baby stuff as planned, Sheila. You still need my truck, so please put your emotions aside and agree to do what’s needed to be done.”
“Emotions!” Before thinking about it, she quickly crossed the room to stand in front of him.
“Yes, emotions.”
His voice had lowered and he reached out and tilted her chin up. “Has anyone ever told you how sexy you look when you’re angry?”
And before she could take another breath, he lowered his mouth to hers.
Why did her lips have to be so soft?
Why did she have to taste so darn good?
And why wasn’t she resisting him?
Those questions rammed through Zeke’s mind as his heart banged brutally in his chest at the feel of his mouth on Sheila’s. He pushed those questions and others to the back of his mind as he deepened the kiss, took it to another level—although his senses were telling him that was the last thing he needed to do.
He didn’t heed their advice. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Sheila’s waist to bring her closer to the fit of him as he feasted on her mouth. He knew he wasn’t the only one affected by the kiss when he felt her hardened nipples pressing into his chest. He could tell she hadn’t gotten kissed a lot, at least not to this degree, and she seemed unsure of herself, but he remedied that by taking control. She moaned and he liked the sound of it and definitely like the feel of her plastered against him.
He could go on kissing her for hours … days … months. The very thought gave him pause and he gradually pulled his mouth from hers. Hours, days and months meant an involvement with a woman and he didn’t do involvements. He did casual affairs and nothing more. And the last thing he did was mix business with pleasure.
Sheila’s first coherent thought after Zeke released her lips was that she had never, not even in her wildest dreams, been kissed like that. She still felt tingling in her toes and her entire body; her every limb and muscle felt like pure jelly, which was probably the reason she was quivering like the dickens inside.
She slowly drew air into her lungs, held it a moment before slowly letting it out. She could still taste him on her tongue. How had he gotten so entrenched there? She quickly answered her own question when she remembered how his tongue had taken hold of hers, mated with it and sucked on it.
She muttered a couple colorful expletives under her breath when she gazed up at him. She should not have allowed him to kiss her like that. She’d be the first to admit she had enjoyed it, but still. The eyes staring back at her were dark and heated as if he wanted a repeat performance. She cleared her throat. “Why did you kiss me?”
Why had he kissed her? Zeke asked himself that same question as he took a step back. He needed to put distance between them or else he would be tempted to kiss her again.
“You were talking,” he said, grabbing the first excuse he could think of.
“No, I wasn’t.”
He lifted a brow. Hadn’t she been? He tried to backtrack and recall just what was taking place between them before she’d stormed across the room to get in his face. When he remembered, he shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. You would have said something you regretted and I decided to wipe the words off your lips.”
Sheila frowned. “I suggest that you don’t ever do it again.”
That slow, sexy smile that she’d seen earlier returned, and instead of saying he wouldn’t kiss her again, he crossed his arms over his chest and asked, “So, what brought you inside? You said you were going to wait outside.”
He had changed subjects and she decided to follow his lead. “Your car began beeping loudly as if it was going to blow up or something.”
His smile widened to emphasize the dimples in his cheek. “That’s my fax machine. It’s built into my console in a way that’s not detectable.”
She shook her head. “What are you, a regular James Bond?”
“No. Bond is a secret agent. I’m a private investigator. There’s a big difference.” He glanced at his watch. “If you’re ready, we can leave. My truck is this way.”
“What about the fax that was coming through?”
“I have a fax in the truck as well. It will come in on both.”
“Oh.”
She followed him through a spacious dining room and kitchen that was stylishly decorated. The living room was also fashionably furnished. Definitely more so than hers. “You have a nice home.”
“Thanks, and if you’re talking about the furniture and decorating, I can’t take credit. It was a model home and I bought it as is. I saw it. I liked it. I got it.”
He saw it, he liked it and he got it. She wondered if that was how he operated with everything in his life.
“Where do you want me to put these boxes?” Zeke asked, carrying two under his arms. One contained a baby car seat and the other a baby bath. He hadn’t wanted to tell her, but he thought instead of purchasing just the basics that she’d gotten carried away. The kid would only be with her for two weeks at the most, not two years.
“You can set them down anywhere. I’m going to stay up late tonight putting stuff up.”
After placing the boxes in a corner of the room, he glanced around. The place was small, but it suited her. Her furniture was nice and her two-story home was neat as a pin. He could imagine how it was going to look with baby stuff cluttering it up.
“I’m going to call the hospital again to check on Sunnie.”
He bit down on his lips, forcing back a reminder that she had called the hospital less than an hour ago. And before that, while they had been shopping in Target for all the items on her list, she had called several times then as well. It was a good thing she knew the nurses taking care of the baby, otherwise they would probably consider her a nuisance.
While she was on the phone, he went back outside to get more boxes out of the truck. Although she didn’t live in a gated community, it was in a nice section of town, and he felt good about that. And he noticed she had an alarm system, but he would check the locks on her doors anyway. Until he discovered the identity of the person who’d tried to extort money from Brad, he wasn’t taking any chances. What if the blackmailer tried to kidnap the baby back?
He had made several trips back and forth into the house before Sheila had finally gotten off the phone. He glanced over at her. “Is anything wrong?”
She shook her head. “No. Sunnie awakened for a short while, but she’s gone back to sleep now.”
Hell, he should hope so. He glanced at his watch. It was after nine o’clock. He should know since they’d closed the store. He figured that kid should be asleep by now. Didn’t she have a bedtime?
“Okay, all the boxes are in, what do you need me to do now?”
Sheila glanced over at him, tempted to tell him what he could do was leave. He was unnerving her. He’d done so while they’d been shopping for the baby items. There was something about a good-looking man that could get to a woman each and every time, and she’d gotten her share with him today. Several times while walking down the aisles of the store, they had brushed against each other, and although both had tried downplaying the connection, she’d felt it and knew he’d felt it as well. And he smelled good. Most of the men at the hospital smelled sanitized. She was reminded of a real man’s scent while around him. And then there was that kiss she was trying hard to forget. However, she was finding it difficult to do so each and every time she looked at his lips. His mouth had certainly done a number on her.
She thought every woman should spend the day shopping with a man for baby items at least once in her lifetime. Sheila couldn’t help remembering the number of times they’d needed assistance from a store clerk. Finally, they’d been assigned their own personal clerk, probably to get them out the store sooner. She was sure the employees wanted to go home at some point that night. And she couldn’t forget how the clerk assumed they were married, although neither of them was wearing a wedding ring. Go figure.
“You can take me to get my car now,” she said, tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear and trying not to stare at him. She shouldn’t be surprised that he practically dominated her living room by standing in the middle of it. Everything else seemed to fade to black. He was definitely the main attraction with his height, muscular build and overall good looks.
“What about the baby bed?”
She quirked a brow. “What about it?”
“When are you going to put it together?”
She nibbled on her bottom lip, thinking that was a good question. It was one of the largest items she’d purchased and the clerk had turned down her offer to buy the one on display. That certainly would have made things easier for her. Instead, he’d sold her one in a box that included instructions that would probably look like Greek to her.
“Later tonight.”
A smile curved his lips. “I should hope so if you plan on bringing the baby home tomorrow.”
She wrapped her arms around herself. She hadn’t told him yet, but she planned on bringing Sunnie home tonight. It was getting so bad with her crying that the nurses hated it when she woke up. Her crying would wake all the other babies. She had talked to the head nurse, who would be contacting Dr. Phillips to make sure Sunnie could be released into her care and custody tonight. She was just waiting for a callback.
Zeke studied Sheila. Maybe his brain was overreacting, but he had a feeling she was keeping something from him. Maybe it was because she was giving a lot away. Like the way she had wrapped her arms around herself. Or the nervous look in her eyes. Or it could be the way she was nibbling on the lips he’d kissed earlier that day. A kiss he wished he could forget but couldn’t. For some reason his mouth had felt right locked to hers.
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Is there something you want to tell me?”
She dropped her arms to her sides. “Sunnie is keeping the other babies up.”
That didn’t surprise him. He’d heard the kid cry. She had a good set of lungs. “She’s sleeping now, right?”
“Yes, but as you know, she probably won’t sleep through the night.”
No, he didn’t know that. “Why not?”
“Most babies don’t. That’s normal. The older they get the longer they will sleep through the night. In Sunnie’s case, she probably sleeps a lot during the day and is probably up for at least part of the night.”
“And you’re prepared for that?”
“I have to be.”
It occurred to him the sacrifices she would be making. His concentration had been so focused on the baby, he hadn’t thought about the changes keeping Sunnie would make in her life. When she’d been on the phone and he’d been hauling in the boxes, he had taken a minute to pull his fax. It had been the background check on her. The firm he used was thorough and he’d held her life history in his hand while holding that one sheet of paper.
She was twenty-seven and every hospital she’d worked in since college had given her a glowing recommendation. She was a law-abiding citizen. Had never even received a speeding ticket. One year she had even received a medal for heroism from the Dallas Fire Department because she’d rushed inside a burning house to help save an elderly man, and then provided him with medical services until paramedics got there. That unselfish act had made national news.
On a more personal side, he knew she had a sister whom she didn’t visit often. She had a mother whom she visited once or twice a year. Her mother was divorced from husband number five, a CEO of a resort in Florida. Her father had died five years ago. Her only sister, who was four years older, was from her father’s first marriage. Sheila had been the product of the old man’s second marriage.
“Tell me what else I can do to help,” he said.
She released a deep sigh. “I want to bring Sunnie here tonight. The nurses are contacting Dr. Phillips for his approval. I hope to get a call from him any minute. Either way, whether I get Sunnie tonight or tomorrow, I’ll need the bed, so if you really don’t mind, I’d appreciate it if you would put it together. I’m not good at doing stuff like that.”
He nodded. “No problem.” He began rolling up his sleeves. “You wouldn’t happen to have a beer handy, would you?”
She smiled. “Yes, I’ll go grab one for you.”
And then she took off and he was left standing while wondering why he couldn’t stop thinking about the time he had kissed her.
“We’re glad you’re here,” one of the nurses in Pediatrics said anxiously. “We have her packed up and ready to go,” she added, smiling brightly.
“She’s been expressing herself again, eh?” Zeke asked, chuckling.
Sheila glanced over at Zeke, wondering why he was there. It hadn’t taken him any time to put up the baby bed, and he’d taken the time to help with the other things as well. Except for the fact Sunnie was a girl and the room was painted blue, everything else was perfect. By the time they’d left, it had looked like a genuine nursery and she couldn’t wait for Sunnie to see it.
That brought her back to the question she’d wondered about earlier. Why was he here? She figured he would drop her off and keep moving. She had a baby car seat, so as far as she was concerned, she was ready to go. But she couldn’t dismiss the nervous tension in her stomach.
Sunnie had clung to her earlier today when the police officers had first brought her in. What if she no longer had that attachment to her and treated her like the others and continue to cry all over the place? She drew in a deep breath, wanting to believe that that special connection between them was still there.
“Where is she?” she asked the nurse.
“Down that hall. Trust me, you’ll hear her as soon as you clear the waiting area. You won’t be able to miss it. All of us are wearing homemade earplugs.”
Sheila knew the nurse had said it as a joke, but she didn’t see anything funny. She was ready to get Sunnie and go home. Home. Already she was thinking of her place as the baby’s home. Before tonight, to her it was just a place to eat and sleep. Now, taking Sunnie there had her thinking differently.
True to what the nurse had said, Sunnie could be heard the moment Sheila and Zeke passed the waiting room. He put his hand on her arm for them to stop walking. He studied her features. “What’s wrong? Why are you so tense?”
How had he known? She released a nervous sigh. “I’ve been gone over eight hours. What if Sunnie isn’t attached to me anymore? What if she sees me and continues to cry?”
Zeke stared at her. The answer seemed quite obvious to him. It didn’t matter. The kid was going home with her regardless. But he could see it was important for this encounter with the baby not to constitute a rejection. He wondered why he cared. He reached out and took her hand in his and began rubbing it when it felt cold.
“Hey, she’s going to remember you. She liked you too much not to. If you recall, I was here when she was clinging to you like you were her lifeline, her protector and the one person she thinks is there for her.”
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Brenda Jackson
Тип: электронная книга
Жанр: Современные любовные романы
Язык: на английском языке
Издательство: HarperCollins
Дата публикации: 16.04.2024
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О книге: Temptation, электронная книга автора Brenda Jackson на английском языке, в жанре современные любовные романы