Silver Thaw (16 page)

Jeb’s jaw muscle started to tic. “Then I’ll run with her. I probably can’t get her out of the country, but I can keep her in hiding until your attorney gets this mess turned around.”

Incredulous, Amanda said, “You could be charged with kidnapping. Serve prison time. Why would you risk that for a child you barely know?”

“Because I love that little girl, and I’m thinking like you. I’ll die before I let Mark touch her again.”

Lying in bed later, Jeb felt as uncertain about this situation as Amanda probably did. He had no idea why he felt so compelled to help this woman. She had nailed it when she said that she and her daughter weren’t his responsibility. Any sane man would boot them out the door and wish them luck. But Jeb couldn’t do that. He’d felt drawn to Amanda from the start. Maybe, if he were honest with himself, she was also right about his motives. Way down deep, was he hoping that if he helped her, she would reward him with her love and all the physical privileges that came with it?

When he searched his heart, he knew his motives were selfless. If Amanda came to love him, he would count himself a lucky man, but he would never try to force her into it.

He could only pray that he didn’t awaken in the morning to find Amanda and Chloe gone. Though he felt he’d done a good job of reassuring Amanda, he had to be realistic. Asking her to accept that much money from him, and believe there would be no strings attached, was expecting a lot.

*   *   *

Amanda entertained the same line of thinking as she slipped into bed and gathered Chloe close in her arms. Jeb was, after all, a man, and she’d caught him looking at her body a few times—in Chloe’s words, as if Amanda were a bowl of chocolate ice cream and he didn’t have a spoon. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that he was physically attracted to her. Amanda had never considered herself particularly desirable to the opposite sex, and before meeting Jeb, she would have bet her whole car fund that a guy so handsome and virile would never give her a second look. Yet he had. That bewildered her. How many times had Mark told her that she was ugly? He’d called her Fat Butt or Tiny Tits far more often than he’d used her actual name.

Maybe a woman didn’t need to be pretty in order for a man to want her. Mark had certainly helped himself to the goods plenty of times, ejaculating even as he told her how ugly she was.

Pressing her face to Chloe’s hair, Amanda breathed deep and wondered if trusting Jeb, even in small measure, wasn’t one of the worst mistakes of her life. Oh, well. As long as Chloe remained safe, Amanda didn’t care what Jeb might do to her. He’d have to get very inventive to outclass Mark. Chloe was all that mattered.

Just then, almost as if he sensed her distress, Bozo licked the back of her wrist. Amanda turned her hand, intending to pet the animal, but before she could make contact, he began to bathe her palm. She recalled Chloe saying that Bozo
talked
to her about what a nice man Jeb was. Maybe, Amanda decided, Chloe had it right about the mastiff’s sentiments. She smiled and evaded the
canine’s tongue to give him a loving scratch behind the ears.

In a whisper, she said, “So you give him a high recommendation, do you?”

Bozo grumbled in response. Amanda imagined that the dog said, “He’s the best.”

On that thought, she plunged into an exhausted sleep.

*   *   *

While drinking his third cup of coffee the next morning, Jeb dialed the numbers of a few friends, in search of help in finding a good attorney. Frank Harrigan, a pal of his brother Ben’s in Crystal Falls who raised world-class quarter horses, came through with pay dirt. Frank had hired a divorce attorney years ago to free his daughter, Samantha, from an abusive marriage, and he said Jeb couldn’t go wrong with this guy. Jeb promptly called the lawyer to make an appointment. It was only eight o’clock, but a receptionist answered. At first, she insisted that the first opening for a consultation was more than two weeks away, but when Jeb explained the urgency of the situation, the woman said she could juggle the schedule to get Amanda in that afternoon.
Score
.

Seconds later, Jeb was on the phone with his mother. After exchanging greetings, he said, “Mom, I was wondering if you’d mind watching a little girl named Chloe this afternoon.”

Silence. Jeb could almost hear the wheels turning in his mother’s mind. During the storm, he’d had time for only quick calls to check on his parents, and he hadn’t wanted to answer all the questions that would arise if he mentioned his houseguests.

“Chloe? How old is she?”

“Six, and the sweetest child I’ve ever met.”

“And who are her parents?”

Jeb grinned. Though he’d always been discreet, Kate had long since accepted that her sons were sexually active. “She’s not mine.” He paused. “Not that I don’t wish she were. When I say she’s sweet, I mean
really
sweet. I met her mom, Amanda, during the ice storm when I was helping people over on Elderberry.” Jeb made short work of recounting how dangerous the situation had been. “Anyway, I was afraid to leave them there, especially without a vehicle, so I brought them to my place.”

“And they’re still there?”

Kate’s tone implied that Amanda and Chloe had been in his home for an inordinately long time. “Yes. The next day when I went over to check on her place, half of the roof had collapsed.” Jeb explained his near escape.

“Oh, my God!” Kate cried. “You could have been killed, Jeb.”

“Yep, but what scares me worse is that the first collapse brought support beams down on the sofa where Amanda and Chloe were huddling for warmth the previous evening.”

Kate muttered something Jeb didn’t quite catch. “You did the right thing by taking them in. I’m proud of you.”

Jeb knew his mom was full of questions, so he decided to head her off with answers. “Amanda works part-time at the elementary school cafeteria, but the hourly wage is low. Even before the storm shut down the schools and got her laid off, she was barely managing to keep the wolves from her door. So I’ve offered her a job as my housekeeper in exchange for room, board, and a small wage.”

“I’ll bet she’s thanking God for small blessings.”

Jeb glanced over his shoulder to make sure Amanda
hadn’t slipped downstairs. “She hasn’t accepted the job yet. She’s—um—wary. But I’m working on her.”

“Wary?”

Jeb had already intruded upon Amanda’s privacy. It wouldn’t be right to reveal every detail of her history to a woman she’d never met. “Bad marriage, a bastard for a husband. Men aren’t high on her list of favorite things. I’ll leave it at that.”

To Kate’s credit, she asked for no more details. “Well, in answer to your initial question, I would love to watch Chloe for a few hours. It’ll be fun!”

*   *   *

Amanda overslept, and when she got downstairs, Jeb blindsided her with news of an appointment with a Crystal Falls attorney that afternoon.

“Today?” Amanda heard the trill of panic in her voice. “That’s awfully fast.” She’d been hoping for a couple of days to wrap her mind around the situation and accept that she had no choice but to take Jeb’s money. “Are you sure this guy is good?”

“He’s been ranked one of the best family law attorneys in the state. He’s our man.”

Amanda imagined Jeb tucking a thick wad of money in her hand in only a few hours. She wasn’t ready for this, but she had no alternatives. “I have no one to watch Chloe, and I do
not
want her to be present in the lawyer’s office.”

“Got it covered. My mom has agreed to watch Chloe.”

Amanda’s heart clenched. “I’ve never left Chloe with anyone, let alone a stranger.”

Jeb’s hazel gaze held hers. “My mom—her name is Kate—is a grandmother waiting to happen. She raised
six kids. I’ll bet you ten bucks that Chloe will love her and be calling her Grandma in fifteen minutes or less.”

After waking Chloe and getting her dressed, Amanda found her hands trembling as she showered and then fussed over what she should wear. She had nothing appropriate, only worn jeans and tops that had seen better days. A high-end attorney probably considered thousand-dollar suits to be everyday clothes. She decided on her least faded pair of blue denims and a cotton blouse that looked halfway new. Choosing footwear was easy. She pulled on the low-cut boots that Jeb had bought her.
I’ve never thanked him. Every time I tried, my throat clogged
.

Amanda sank onto the edge of the bed, listening to the musical sound of Chloe’s voice and the deeper pitch of Jeb’s drift upstairs.
Why is it so difficult for me to accept help?
Amanda had no answers. She knew only that admitting she couldn’t make it on her own filled her with trepidation and a horrible sense of inadequacy.

Seconds later, when she entered the kitchen, she saw a beautifully prepared breakfast set out on the table. Jeb broke off a conversation with Chloe to give Amanda a slow appraisal that made her skin tingle. “You look great.”

Amanda released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “From the ankles up, I look like hand-me-down Sue, but the boots are fabulous.” She swallowed. “Thank you for buying them for me.”

He placed a palm atop Chloe’s head, fingering a dark curl as if it were spun silk. “I’m sorry about the white lie. It was the only way I could think of to get you to accept some decent winter outerwear. What you had was completely inadequate.”

Amanda shifted her gaze to the platters of food on the table. “Sort of like the white lie you told me about being a lousy cook so I’d accept your offer of a job?”
Shut up, Amanda. He’s been nothing but generous. You have no right to be taking shots at him.
“With amazing alacrity, you seem able to switch your culinary skills on or off.”

He grinned. “Busted. I’m a great cook. But that doesn’t mean all of it was a white lie. When the busy season hits, I have little time for kitchen stuff or for cleaning this huge house. I survive on peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches. During the slower months, I could be making furniture if I had help in the house.”

“Yum!” Chloe inserted. “I hope I’m here when you’re busy, Mr. Jeb. Peanut-butter-and-jelly is my favorite.”

“Well, if your mommy accepts the job, she’ll do most of the cooking, and I doubt she’ll serve that. But maybe we can have them sometimes.” Jeb gestured at the table. “Let’s eat before our breakfast gets cold.”

As Amanda approached the table, she felt like a victim of sudden-onslaught rheumatoid arthritis. Her joints were half-frozen and hurt when she moved.
Pride
. She felt ashamed of herself for speaking harshly to Jeb after he’d been so kind.

She took a bite of the fried potatoes and almost mimicked Chloe by saying, “Yum.” Instead, she rolled the flavors on her tongue and swallowed before saying, “These are better than mine. What’s in them?”

“Diced green onions, some flakes of fresh garlic, salt and pepper, and a dash of my secret ingredient, sugar. At the last, I toss in some grated cheddar, but only a little. But I have to correct you. Your fried potatoes and gravy are
spectacular
.”

“So are these.” Amanda took a bite of bacon. “I think I’ve gained a pound by merely breathing the air here.”

*   *   *

Depending upon road conditions, the drive to Crystal Falls took from thirty minutes to an hour. In Mystic Creek, long icicles still hung from tree limbs, eaves, and power lines, lending the quaint town a fantasy appeal. Everything glistened as if it had been sprayed with liquid silver. Fearful that Highway 97 might be treacherous, Jeb wanted to leave early for Amanda’s appointment. And rather than drop Chloe off with his mom and hurry away, he wanted to spend some time there while the two of them got acquainted. For one thing, he didn’t want to leave the girl feeling fearful, and second, he knew Amanda would be worried sick all afternoon if she didn’t first see Chloe settled in comfortably with his folks.

Jeb hadn’t underestimated his mom’s ability to win over a child. Kate met them in the entryway. Until that moment, Jeb hadn’t realized just how
much
Amanda resembled his mom, both of them petite with dark hair, brown eyes, and delicate features.
Shit, I’ve got a mother complex
. Jeb quickly shoved the thought aside. The likeness in appearance was purely coincidental. He hadn’t latched onto Amanda because she reminded him of his mom.

While Jeb stood there like a stump with deep roots, grasping Amanda’s arm, his mom had already sprung into action, shaking Amanda’s hand, saying how pleased she was to meet her, and then bending low to greet Chloe, who was leaning against Jeb’s leg.

“I figured you’d be here for lunch,” Kate said with an
enthusiasm guaranteed to delight six-year-olds. “So hurry and come with me! We’re going to make picture pizzas!”

Chloe, who loved to draw, bounced away to enter Kate Sterling’s world of childhood delight. She grasped the older woman’s hand and, in the process, abandoned her mother.

“What are picture pizzas?” Chloe asked.

“Anything we want to make them into!” Kate replied. “We can try to do a heart pizza, or a dog pizza, or a horse pizza. Plus, I have an idea how we can try to make rooster pizza!”

Amanda looked up at Jeb and offered him a slightly bewildered smile. The question in her eyes said,
Is your mom for
real
?
Jeb, who’d helped Amanda over the ice outside, released his hold on her arm

He registered Chloe’s excited intonations coming from the kitchen without making out all the words. He gleaned only enough to know that his mom had the dough shooter out and her plan was to squirt a thin, gluten-free mixture onto pizza stones.

“Gluten free?” He winked at Amanda. “No one in the family is allergic. I guess my mother is on another dietary kick.”

“We can try to make animals, triangles, squares, and people!” Kate exclaimed.

Jeb guessed that Chloe wouldn’t care as much about the outcome of her artwork as she would about the fun of trying.

Jeb looked down at Amanda. “I told you. Mom
loves
kids. Chloe will have a great day. She may wish you were here to share the fun, but she won’t miss you or feel sad. Are you reading me?”

Amanda’s beautiful, soul-deep eyes misted with tears as she nodded. “Your mom is adorable.”

He guided her through the house where he’d grown up. “Let’s observe the action. Mom can get crazy when it comes to kids. She won’t care if she winds up with pizza sauce on the walls. She loves children as much as I love—” Jeb broke off. He’d almost said as much as he loved sex. But it wasn’t actually true that he loved sex. Granted, he’d had his share of intimate encounters, but afterward, he’d felt nothing emotional. Besides, the word
sex
wasn’t one he should use in the presence of the wary woman beside him.