Authors: Judy Christenberry
Tags: #Romance, #Contemporary, #Historical, #Nonfiction, #Series
Baby in Her Arms (7 page)
Maggie leaned back against her own pillow and watched father and daughter.
“It’s not as hard as I thought,” Josh said, lifting his gaze to her. “Though that earlier stuff was a pain. How do people manage on their own?”
“They don’t get everything cleaned up as fast. But it’s easier with two people.” And much more enjoyable, she realized. Several times lately, she’d considered becoming a single parent. She still might. But she was learning that when two people shouldered the load, parenting was much sweeter.
And sexier.
Josh’s solemn, sincere gaze, with those big blue eyes so like his little girl’s, was more than Maggie could ignore. The time spent with these two was going to cost her. It would take her months to forget the contentment of these days.
“Ginny and I appreciate what you’re doing for us. And I know I’m taking advantage of you, but I didn’t find a nanny yesterday and—”
“And you want me to help you Monday, too?”
“Is it too much to ask?”
“No. In fact, I think I need to take some vacation days. I’ve been working too much lately.”
She couldn’t bear the intimacy of the bed anymore. Not when she’d promised to stay longer. She didn’t regret that promise, but she was going to have to be careful. She needed to harden her heart against Josh as much as possible. “I’ll go start breakfast while you’re taking care of Ginny.”
Before she could escape, Josh had swung his legs over the side of the bed. “Ginny and I will come with you.”
Three adults made his apartment seem small, Josh reflected. It had always been perfect for his life, until now. He’d never thought he would ever need to move.
But he was beginning to realize that Ginny was a permanent fixture in his life. And since he couldn’t take time to care for her, he had to have room for a nanny or whoever.
With nothing else to do, he pulled the classifieds out of the paper and began reading the house-for-sale ads. “Hey, Maggie, listen to this. Four-bedroom house, three baths, large yard, Shawnee Mission School District.”
She looked at him, surprised. Ginny had just awakened from her nap and was playing on the floor with Maggie, while Sam watched a golf tournament on television.
“Does that sound good?” he prompted when she said nothing.
“Good for what?”
“For Ginny.”
“I thought you weren’t going to move.”
“I’ll have to. There’s not enough room here. And she’ll need a yard to play in. And good schools to go to.”
“It sounds expensive.”
He dismissed her comment with a wave of his hand. “I’ve got some money saved.”
He had quite a bit of money, actually, thanks to his mother. Her insistence that his father take a safe job, selling insurance, and insuring himself for an inordinate amount, had seemed silly. But when they’d had a car wreck while Josh was in college, killing both of his parents, he’d been left with a lot of money. He would rather have had parents.
He’d learned a valuable lesson, however. There was no protection against death.
“So, you’re going to keep Ginny?”
He stared at Maggie. “What do you mean? Of course I’m going to keep Ginny! She’s my child.”
Sam was watching them, a strange expression on his face. “Isn’t Maggie her mother?”
Josh ignored him, not willing to share his personal life with a client, but Maggie answered. “No, I’m not.”
“I thought you were. The kid looks a lot like you.” Sam turned his attention back to the television.
Josh stared at her in frustration. He wanted to discuss her meaning, to protest her thinking he would ever give up his child. But he didn’t want to do that in front of Sam.
“Let’s go into the bedroom,” he suggested softly.
“Um, no, I have to fold clothes. I washed a load of Ginny’s things.” She got to her feet. “Watch Ginny for me.”
The baby tried to crawl after Maggie, and Josh caught her around her little tummy. “Whoa, Ginny. Mommy—Maggie said for you to stay here.”
His slip startled him. Maggie wasn’t her mother, but she certainly acted like it. He knew she cared about Ginny. This morning, he’d thought he might win in their battle of wills over who was going to care for the baby, because he could see how hard it was for her to let him take her place.
But Maggie had surprised him.
And he’d surprised himself. It wasn’t as hard to care for a baby as he’d thought. And she was kind of cute.
Ginny picked up a stuffed block and threw it.
He reached for the block and handed it back to her. In no time, she’d thrown it again. He handed it back. She threw it again.
“Wait a minute. This is a game, isn’t it? I don’t think I want to play,” he said, then felt silly, arguing with a baby.
When Ginny reached for the block and squealed, he ignored her. Then she began crying.
“What’s wrong with Ginny?” Maggie asked, a frown on her face as she rushed into the room, clean clothes filling her arms.
Josh immediately gave the block back to the baby.
“She’s playing the throw-the-toy game,” Sam muttered, his gaze fixed on the television.
Josh stared at him. He knew about Ginny’s behavior? Oh, yeah, he’d said he had three kids. “She threw the block, and every time I brought it back to her, she threw it again. When I stopped, she cried,” he said defensively. What was he supposed to have done?
“Why don’t you take the ball and roll it to her. Then she can practice throwing it to you. Or close to you,” Maggie added, a twinkle in her eyes.
Whatever made both females happy. Josh realized he didn’t want either one of them upset with him. He played with Ginny for the next few minutes while Maggie folded baby clothes. It was a sweet, domestic scene—or would have been if Sam hadn’t been there.
And if Josh had the right to cuddle Maggie.
Distracted, he hadn’t noticed Ginny crawling to his side. When he felt a tug on his shirt, he discovered his baby standing beside him. “Maggie, look! She can stand.”
“I know. Careful, Ginny, or you’ll fall.” The baby beamed at Maggie, then at Josh. “It won’t be long before she can walk,” Maggie added. “At least I think so. Nathan has been taking a few steps.”
“Who’s Nathan?” Sam asked.
“My nephew, who’s just over a year old.”
“Girls learn faster than boys,” Sam said, still staring at the television.
“They do?” Josh was surprised that his house guest knew so much.
“Yeah, my son didn’t walk until he was almost eighteen months, but the girls were walking by the time they turned one.”
“You have two girls and a boy?” Maggie asked politely.
“Yep. They really keep you hopping.” He turned to Josh. “You don’t get much peace with little ones around.”
“I can imagine,” Josh agreed as he grabbed Ginny. She’d lost her balance and was taking a nosedive. Unperturbed by her near accident, she grabbed Josh’s nose and grinned at him.
“Oh, dear, I forgot to call Susan. May I use the phone?” Maggie asked.
“Sure. How’s she doing?”
“Fine. Still determined to make it without any help,” Maggie admitted with a sigh. “But we love her. I usually do something with her and the kids on the weekend, so I need to let her know I can’t this weekend.”
“If it will cause problems, I can—” Josh began reluctantly.
“No. She’ll understand. She always does.” Maggie’s smile said a lot about her relationship with her new sister.
He returned to his playing with Ginny, listening to the one-sided conversation. When Maggie hung up, he was able to turn his attention back to their situation.
“We’ve got to come up with a good plan to get you to the trial on Monday,” he said to Sam. “Just in case they decide to make another try.”
Both Sam and Maggie stiffened, looking anxious.
Someone knocked on the door.
Chapter Seven
J
osh felt sure Pete, who was on duty this afternoon, would have alerted him to problems, but he motioned for silence anyway. It didn’t pay to take chances.
osh felt sure Pete, who was on duty this afternoon, would have alerted him to problems, but he motioned for silence anyway. It didn’t pay to take chances.
Through the peephole, he saw a man in a green uniform. Turning, he motioned to Maggie. “Is this a guy from the diner?” he whispered.
She peeped through the hole and then nodded. “Yes, it’s Joey, the deliveryman.” Without asking for permission, she opened the door. “Hi, Joey. Come on in.”
“Thanks, Maggie. Much longer and the food would be cold.” He was short and a little on the plump side, like Sam.
“What are we eating this afternoon?” Maggie asked.
“Chicken and dumplings. And Kate sent a message. She said she was coming with me in the morning to deliver breakfast.”
“She can’t do that,” Maggie protested. “She has her family to look after.”
Joey grinned. “And she said to tell you no fussing.”
“Why is your sister coming?” Josh demanded.
Maggie and Joey exchanged a smile before she answered him. “Kate’s worried. She’s afraid you’re taking advantage of me.”
“You won’t let her talk you into leaving, will you?” asked Josh. He frowned, wrinkling the bandage on his forehead.
“Of course not.” Once Kate saw Ginny, Maggie knew she’d believe Maggie was doing the right thing.
Joey soon packed up and left. After the door closed behind him, Sam asked, “I thought you and Maggie were married?”
“We are,” Josh said hurriedly, shooting Maggie a warning look.
“Oh. Then why would her sister talk her into leaving?”
Josh couldn’t seem to come up with an answer, and Maggie helped him out. “She’s upset because I’m taking off work instead of Josh to care for Ginny.”
“Ah. My wife and I had several arguments about that, but I was making the most money.” He turned his attention back to the food. “They sure do make good food.”
“Yeah,” Josh agreed, but he had a thoughtful look on his face.
After eating for several minutes in silence, Josh repeated his earlier warning. “I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but the word is out that your enemies intend to ice you Monday morning. We’ve got to figure out a good way to get you to the trial.”
Maggie caught her breath. Josh had already been shot once because he was with Sam. That meant Monday morning he would be in danger again.
“Josh, if anything should happen to you, who will—I mean, have you provided for Ginny? Who will take her?”
He appeared irritated by her question, but it was important, in Maggie’s mind. Not that she wanted to think about anything happening to Josh, but Ginny had already lost one parent.
“Not now, Maggie. I have to think about how to disguise Sam.”
“He could dress as a woman. That’s how they always manage it on television,” Maggie suggested, eager to solve this problem so they could move on to the more important one.
“Yeah, television. That takes a master actor. Any acting experience, Sam?”
Sam shook his head, panic on his face. “I should have never stuck my nose in where it didn’t belong. I don’t want to be a witness.”
“Come on, Sam, you’ll be breaking up an illegal operation that’s hurt a lot of people.”
Sam looked unconvinced. “That won’t comfort my kids any, or my wife, if I don’t make it back home.”
Suddenly, Maggie had the answer. “I know how you can do it.”
Josh frowned at her, as if he found her words intrusive. “Maggie, you’d best leave this to the professional here, me.”
“You don’t want my idea?”
“Maggie—”
“He switches places with Joey.”
She watched as her words penetrated Josh’s mind. With a dawning smile, he nodded. “You know, I think that’s brilliant.”
“So you owe me an apology,” she said, smiling in return.
He stood and pulled her to her feet. Before Maggie knew what he intended, he kissed her. A big, congratulatory smack, followed by an even bigger smile.
“I do,” he assured her. His arms dropped to her waist and he leaned toward her again. Maggie caught her breath, sure he intended to repeat that kiss. Only with less smack and more—
“I don’t get it,” Sam interrupted.
Maggie’s heart dipped as Josh released her and faced Sam again, distracted from his intent.
“Think, Sam. If those men have been watching the apartment, they’ve seen Joey delivering food, twice already, and he’s coming tomorrow morning. He wears a distinctive green coverall, and he’s about your size.”
“We don’t look that much alike,” Sam said nervously.
“Without your glasses you do,” Maggie said.
“I can’t see a thing without my glasses.”
“We’ll fix that,” Josh said dismissively. “People see what they expect to see. By Monday morning, they won’t even give Joey a close look. It’s perfect.” Josh turned back to Maggie. “Thanks, sweetheart.”
“But I can’t see without my glasses,” Sam repeated, upset.
“Do you have prescription sunglasses with you?” Josh asked.
“Yes, of course, but—”
“Maggie, can we get Joey to start wearing sunglasses that look similar to Sam’s, starting in the morning?”
“Yes, of course, I’ll call the diner.”
“Wait, we need to go over all the details. The van, is it an automatic?”
“I can’t drive a stick shift,” Sam protested.
Maggie was growing irritated with the man’s attitude. They were trying to help him. “The van is a stick shift.”
“Hmmm,” Josh said, rubbing his chin. “If I go with him, it will look suspicious.”
“Kate! Kate’s coming tomorrow. If she drives tomorrow and then comes on Monday, too, she can—but I can’t put Kate in danger.”
“There shouldn’t be much danger, but we can’t ask your sister to participate unless she agrees to the risk. Do you think she will?”
Knowing Kate’s daring nature, Maggie suspected she’d enjoy such a thing. But Will might never speak to Maggie again.
“I think I’d better call Kate and talk to her.”
An hour later everything was settled. Will had, as Maggie predicted, objected to Kate’s participation. However, much to Maggie’s surprise, he had suggested that he himself accompany Joey the next day and on Monday morning. He would drive and escort Sam to the courtroom.
Kate had promised to find sunglasses for Joey that resembled the ones Sam wore. Plans were made for Joey after Sam left, so he wouldn’t be in any danger.
“You’re going to have to leave the apartment, too, sweetheart,” Josh said, a frown on his face.
Maggie didn’t think he even realized he’d addressed her with the endearment, but she enjoyed it anyway. “Why?”
“Because they’ll come inside to check after a while. I want you and Ginny out of here.” He was going over a list he’d made. Maggie was discovering how thorough he was.
“Can you go to the diner? Or I’ll pay for a hotel room for the day.”
“We can go back to my apartment.”
“That’s too far away. And you’d be alone. I want someone around, just in case.”
“What about Sam’s family?” she suddenly asked in a whisper. Sam again was watching television while they were in the kitchen. “What if they go after his family?”
“We sent them out of town yesterday afternoon.”
Yes, he was definitely thorough.
“Josh, we need to talk about Ginny.”
“Is something wrong with her?” he asked, sudden tension on his face.
Maggie reveled in the concern she saw there. He loved his baby girl, even if he didn’t realize it yet. “No, she’s fine. She’s playing in the playpen. But you need to think about providing for her. You have to designate someone as guardian for her in case—in case something happens.”
His frown deepened. “You’re right. I hadn’t thought of that. But accidents can happen to anyone, not just private investigators.”
Maggie wasn’t sure what he was trying to say. “I know that. But—”
“I’m not going to stop being a P.I.”
She shook her head in bewilderment. “Of course not.”
“Of course not?” He leaned forward. “You’re not telling me I need to change my job?”
“No. You’ll have to find someone to take care of Ginny with your odd hours. It doesn’t matter when you see Ginny, as long as you spend time with her. But—”
“Do you really mean that?”
Maggie felt as if she were wading through mud. It took a lot of energy with little to show for the effort. “Josh, I don’t understand what you’re getting at.”
“I know you don’t,” he agreed, and surprised her with a warm smile. “But that’s okay.”
“What I’m trying to say is you need to provide for Ginny.”
“Okay. Let me get a piece of paper.”
He left the kitchen, and Maggie sat at the table, still confused. He thought she would try to make him give up his job?
Almost at once he returned to the kitchen. “If something happens to me, will you take care of Ginny? I already know you love her.”
Warmth flooded through Maggie. Warm gratitude that he would trust her. Warm love for the wriggly little girl in the other room. Warm hope for the future. “Of course I will. But...but don’t you have family?”
“No. Well, yes, a distant cousin in Boston, but I don’t know her. I want Ginny to have someone who loves her. There’ll be plenty of money, so you won’t have to work, and—”
“Are you saying I have to give up my job for Ginny?”
“She’ll need someone to take care of her.”
“So you’re giving up your job?”
“You just said you wouldn’t ask that of me!” he exclaimed, taking a step away from the table.
“But you have no difficulty asking that of me?”
“But you’re a—”
“Woman?” She waited patiently for the parallel to hit him.
Enlightenment didn’t strike him at once.
“But women are supposed to—there’s sufficient money—”
“So you don’t need to work, either?” She sat, waiting, watching as color filled his cheeks.
“Maggie, you don’t understand,” he protested.
She said nothing.
Finally, he sat down at the table. “Maybe I’m the one who doesn’t understand. I didn’t mean you had to quit your job if something happens to me. I know you’d do what’s right for Ginny.”
Maggie smiled. “Thank you, Josh, for trusting me.”
Josh’s earlier conversation with Maggie left him stunned. He had been asking almost the same sacrifice of her that his mother had asked of his father.
Her patience with him had amazed him, too. She hadn’t lost her temper or accused him of trying to ruin her life. She’d simply said she would care for Ginny.
And he had no doubt of that.
“Josh, it’s time for Ginny to go to bed,” Maggie said from the doorway.
“Okay. Want me to kiss her good-night?”
Maggie smiled. “I hope you do, of course. I laid out her nightgown and a clean diaper for you.”
Ginny babbled something from the playpen, but Maggie didn’t respond to the baby, and she also didn’t cross the room to pick her up.
His mind on everything that had gone on tonight, it took Josh a minute to realize Maggie wasn’t going to put the baby to bed. “Maggie?”
“Yes, Josh?” she answered from the doorway.
“Look, I know I’m her father, but—”
“But?”
“Can’t you put her to bed? She’ll be happier.”
Sam, watching television as usual, said without turning his head, “My daughters love for me to tuck them in.”
Josh rolled his eyes. “She’s a baby.”
“Got to start sometime,” Sam muttered.
It was easy for Sam to say. He didn’t have to do anything. Josh got up and looked at Maggie. “Will you help me?”
“Of course,” Maggie assured him with a smile that lit up her face.
He held out his arms to his baby daughter. Much to his delighted surprise, she chuckled and reached for him.
Cradling her against him, he walked to the doorway. “I’m a little suspicious. You don’t think she has another surprise for me, do you?”
“No, I don’t. But you dealt with it once. You can do it again,” Maggie assured him.
And to win her approval he would even take on that chore again. Hey, he thought, when had Maggie’s approval become so important to him?
He discovered preparing for bedtime could be sweetly pleasant. Ginny was a happy baby, smiling even as she rubbed her eyes. When he’d gotten those lively arms and legs snapped into some pajamas covered with kittens, he cuddled her against him, dropping a kiss on her forehead.
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