The Switched Baby Scandal (A Scandals of San Sebastian Novel) (Entangled Bliss) (8 page)

Emily placed one small hand on each of his shoulders, then looked him in the eye, her demeanor serious. All at once her face lit up into a sunny smile that stole his breath away. “Thank you, Reece,” she chirped, then planted a small kiss on his cheek. “I have to take Jessie home for her nap now, but we’ll play again soon.”

Reece nodded. “You bet, sunshine.” His arms were unwilling to let his little girl go.

His little girl
. The thought struck him hard.

There was still so much pain mixed up with the pleasure of little-girl laughter that he sometimes had trouble separating the two. He was opening himself up to feelings that he’d locked away for a long time. It was a risk, but it was worth it. Emily was worth all of it, and more
.

He looked up into Taylor’s face. Her blue eyes were bright, as if she might cry, and the need to comfort her hit instantly. The swing of blond hair threw a delicate shadow over her creamy skin. Taylor might not think she needed anyone, but everyone could use a shoulder to lean on now and then. Even if he couldn’t offer her anything else, he could do that much.

“Thanks for coming,” he said, his voice low, almost husky with emotion.

She nodded. “I really enjoyed it. Maybe we can do it again soon.”

“How about something with better food?”

A small smile eased the pain shadowing her face.

“Maybe another family dinner?” he ventured, before she could say no.

Taylor eyed him with equal measures of wariness and interest, then nodded. “I’ll get back to you,” she said, a note of promise in her voice.

He stood as she gently guided Emily toward the door. Emily waved and Reece waved back.

Later that night, Reece sat while the news hummed in the background. He was engulfed in remembering the small enthusiastic hug of sweet little-girl arms around his neck and the nuzzle of a small mouth against his cheek. Then there was the soft fall of blond hair against the satin of Taylor’s neck and what it would feel like in his fingers, what she might feel like next to him. What it might be like to have all of them together as a family.

He absently flicked through the late news on several channels and snapped to attention when he saw Emily. She was coming down out of a tubular green slide into his arms and then jumped up to hug him around the neck.

The scene struck him like a punch from a heavyweight boxer, making his vision spark with stars. They had been filmed at Playland without their knowledge.

He jabbed the volume button.

“… as the hospital tries to sort out what went wrong, the families of the remaining child in the switched-birth fiasco are amicable despite custody issues raging in the courts. An investigation into the hospital staff involved in the case is ongoing. Nurse Sherri Hoyt is suspected of having switched the children while interrupted in the act of abducting one or both of the babies. Authorities are continuing to search for Hoyt, but records indicate she left the state immediately after the incident occurred. Action Six News will continue to bring you developments on this story. In other news…”

An overwhelming mixture of nausea and anger pooled in his stomach. The intrusion of the media into their private lives was getting to be too much. He and Taylor had agreed to take their time introducing him to Emily as her father. What if the media screwed that up? What if her friends or their parents asked Emily questions she wasn’t ready to answer because of the news coverage? He wasn’t taking any chances with Emily’s safety, privacy, or her future.

He grabbed the phone and dialed Taylor’s number.

Chapter Eight

It wasn’t until after the phone began to ring that Reece glanced at the green numbers of the digital clock on the nightstand and realized it was getting close to midnight. The phone rang again, and he debated hanging up. He felt guilty for calling her so late and worried the call might wake Emily.

With the third unanswered ring, he pulled the phone away to hang up, but before it reached the cradle, a sleepy voice said, “Hello?” He was wide awake with adrenaline.

“Taylor, it’s Reece. They taped Emily.”

“What?” The confusion in her voice reminded him to slow down.

“The eleven o’clock news on Channel Six had a story about the hospital mix-up, and there was footage of us taken at Playland today.”

There was a stunned silence on the other end of the phone.

“Taylor, are you there?”

“Ye-es,” she stammered, “I’m here. It can’t be. Are you sure?”

“There was no mistaking the close-up in the footage. It was Emily and you and me.”

“What are we going to do?”

“One thing is for damn sure. We can’t let that happen again. They can’t involve Emily in their coverage.” The adrenaline was pumping hard now, making his palms damp as they held the receiver.

In a flash of thought, he knew what he needed to do. He needed to convince Taylor that they could be safe in his home. His place was gated. Protected. Here the media couldn’t get away with invading their privacy and filming Emily without their permission. “We’ve got to get together to protect Emily from any further media coverage and talk about how we’re going to break this to her. Can we meet, just the two of us, for dinner tomorrow? This isn’t something I want Emily to know about just yet.”

“Sure. I’ll ask my mom to come over and watch her after I get done with my consultation at Martha Beeman’s home. I should be done by five.”

“I’ll pick you up at six.”

“Fine. And Reece…”

His heart skipped a beat. “Yeah?”

“Thanks for calling me.”

“Good night, Taylor.”

“’Night.”

He hung up the phone, but couldn’t get the images of the three of them together out of his mind. He padded downstairs, thinking he’d go to the kitchen for something warm and calming to drink. The night-light in the hall, the one they had put there for Alyssa to calm her fears, still lit the walls in the dark. It cast the last family picture of he, Becca, and Alyssa in a dull light, but enough that his eye was drawn to it once again as he passed by.

One part of him rebelled at the thought of bringing another woman and child into his home. While he’d married Becca out of duty when she’d gotten pregnant, he’d always been faithful. In some small way, asking Taylor here was stepping on that, wasn’t it? Especially when he was having erotic thoughts of her since they’d spent the afternoon at Jungle Jane’s?

Reece shook his head.

He couldn’t afford to think like that. This was different. Bringing them here was the best option he had to protect Emily from being confronted by the media circus that seemed to be building around the circumstances of her birth and keep her from knowing the truth about who he was until the time was right. He would broach the idea with Taylor tomorrow. Chances were she’d balk at it. He was on shaky ground with her as it was regarding the visitations. He couldn’t blame her. If he felt that someone were trying to take his child, he’d be overprotective, too.

He glanced up again at Becca’s soft brown eyes. They held only warmth and acceptance. “You understand, don’t you, Becca? It’s not like I’m marrying her or replacing you in any way…” The tightness built in the back of his throat, overwhelming his earlier need to hit something. His voice trembled in the dark. “I’m going to take care of our baby, I swear it to you…no matter what it takes.”

He abruptly turned on his heel and dismissed going to the kitchen. There was nothing in there that could comfort him now. He trudged up the stairs. The door of his empty bedroom
snicked
closed behind him, and Reece climbed into the large, cold bed alone.

…

Across town, Taylor lay wide awake, staring at the stripes of moonlight coming in through her mini blinds and stretching across her bedroom ceiling. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, maybe she and Emily needed Reece right now. After his call, she’d gone straight to her laptop. This entire hospital mistake was going much further than she had ever anticipated, making her uncomfortably aware of how vulnerable Emily was. Even Emily’s preschool didn’t allow pictures of the children to be published in their newsletter or website without the parents’ permission, and yet the media seemed to think that her little girl was public domain just because she was connected to the story. She didn’t want Emily upset or frightened by strangers pestering her. She didn’t want other people to tell her daughter about her connection to Reece. Not until she was certain Emily was ready—and so was she.

She turned over to her side and punched her pillow. What was the worst that could happen if they took Reece up on his offer? They’d have dinner, and she would listen to his ideas for protecting Emily and graciously accept his assistance. No muss, no fuss.

But deep down, she knew that she wasn’t being honest with herself. Her reaction in the elevator confirmed what she’d sensed every time she’d been near him. There was an instant spark between them that she’d never had with anyone before and it shook her confidence. How could she trust herself to make good decisions around him when her body eagerly responded to him and argued with her logical thoughts? She’d worked so hard not to need a man—any man—after Michael left. And while she might need Reece’s help, she didn’t want it, especially if it meant giving him more ammunition in the courtroom to have a case for getting partial custody of Emily.

She sighed, then threw back the covers and made her way to the kitchen.
Reece is no Michael
, she thought as she grabbed a mug out of the cupboard and filled it with water from the tap. He had definitely made it clear he was interested in being a daddy in the truest sense of the word. He was responsible and kind. He wasn’t trying to tell her what to do or control her. He simply wanted to be part of Emily’s life—like any
real
dad would.

Taylor popped the mug into the microwave and waited as the cup spun around, mirroring the thoughts in her head. Like it or not, Emily seemed to have formed an attachment to him. The microwave beeped and she pulled out the steaming mug and dropped a chamomile tea bag in it, causing fragrant steam to curl up from the cup.

The problem was how could she play nice with someone so hot and not get burned. She blew across the top of her cup and took a sip of the soothing liquid. It burned a path down her throat and warmed her stomach. Reece was responsible, attractive, kind, attractive, financially stable, and attractive.

Taylor set down the cup and rubbed her arms with her warm hands.
Get a grip. It’s not like he’s going to throw himself at you. All he wants is to be involved in Emily’s life, and you’re part of the package.

She didn’t want it to be more complicated than that, did she? After her reaction to him at Jungle Jane’s, she wasn’t sure.

His choice for a neutral meeting place for dinner couldn’t have been more disastrous. Bella Nina’s had low lighting, cozy private booths, and an ambiance that reeked of romance. Taylor pulled the little black bolero sweater she wore more tightly against her hot-pink, short-sleeved dress in an effort to protect herself from the atmosphere, afraid it might taint her resolve.

“Kind of…intimate, isn’t it?” she asked, her voice tinged with disapproval.

Reece raised his hands in a gesture of self-defense. “They have good food, Italian appeals to almost everyone, it’s close, not too expensive, and I knew it wouldn’t be noisy. That, and the owner is a long-time friend of mine. Fair enough?”

Taylor shifted her weight to her other foot, aware that her discomfort was none of Reece’s fault. “Sorry. I wasn’t meaning it to sound so critical.”

Reece gave her a bone-melting smile. “No offense taken.”

“Ciao, Reece!” A teenage classic Mediterranean beauty came around from the hostess station to give him a hug.

“Hi, Nina. I’d like you to meet Taylor. She’s Emily’s mother.”

“Ahh.” Taylor had the distinct impression of being given the once-over by the girl. She gave a generous smile. “
Buona sera,
signorina. It is a pleasure to meet you.” The girl turned back to Reece, grasped his hand, and held it for a moment.

Taylor was instantly aware of the contact, and it somehow irritated her to think she even noticed.

“Gino says he wants to show you to your table personally.”

“Thanks, Nina.” He gave her a peck on the forehead before she bounced off into the restaurant.

“I think Nina has a crush on you,” Taylor said, half teasing.

Reece shrugged. “She’s a good kid. Gino has had to raise her since she was no bigger than Emily. I kind of grew up with her as a surrogate kid sister.”

“So you’ve known him a long time?”

“Best friends since high school.”

A moment later, a well-built man with a dark complexion and clothed in a nice pair of black cotton slacks and skintight, black T-shirt barely covered with a well-splattered apron came around the corner. He would have been drop-dead gorgeous if Reece hadn’t been standing there as a comparison.

“Ciao, Reece! It’s good to see you.” He reached out and pumped Reece’s hand vigorously, then clapped him on the back. “I’m glad you came in tonight. Nina’s been bugging me to see you for weeks.” He paused and turned a hundred-watt smile and heavy-lidded gaze to Taylor, which made her suddenly more aware of what she was wearing. “And who is this vision of Venus on your arm?”

“Gino, Taylor Lawrence—Taylor, the biggest tease I know, Gino DeMarco.”

Gino grasped her fingers lightly and brought them to his lips for a kiss that barely brushed her skin. From the look in his eye, Taylor could tell he was a player who appreciated women but was never serious with them. “A pleasure, signorina.”

Reece gently took Taylor’s hand from Gino and held it for a moment longer than he needed to, rubbing his thumb in an arc over the back of her hand where Gino’s lips had been a moment before. It was only a second, but unlike Gino’s kiss, Reece’s touch sent an arc of awareness shimming up her arm and down through the rest of her. He let her hand go.

“Nice to meet you,” she said.

Gino winked at Reece. Taylor didn’t miss the gesture and wondered about its meaning. “Please, come with me.”

As they walked back to a table for two covered with crisp white linen set against a rich burgundy-colored wall, Taylor got the distinct impression she was being inspected. Gino slid the chair out for her and she sat down.

Gino stayed a moment longer than necessary. “Shall I bring you menus, or would you prefer the regular?” he asked Reece.

“Bring us two of the regular, a bottle of Chianti, and your favorite appetizer.”

Taylor grew stiff but smiled as Gino left them. Michael had never let her order her own food, and she hadn’t let that happen since they’d separated.

The moment Reece’s gaze connected with hers, his brows drew together. He’d noticed her change in demeanor. He leaned forward and his low voice was tinged with concern. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Normally I like to order for myself.” As soon as she said it she realized that it sounded rather shrewish. “Sorry, I’m just not used to a man ordering for me.”

He nodded, then pinned her with a penetrating gaze. “I don’t think you’re used to being around men much at all, are you?”

His totally unexpected comment hit home like a perfectly aimed arrow.
Ouch, the truth hurts.

“Look, I haven’t had the best experiences in the world to draw from so you’ll excuse me if I’m a little cautious about being led around by someone else who thinks they know what’s good for me.”

Reece sat back in his chair. “He really hurt you, didn’t he?”

“Excuse me?” His perceptiveness was almost eerie and sent unwanted shivers down her spine.

He looked directly into her eyes. “In my business you learn to read between the lines, Taylor. Just because a client is telling you their side of it doesn’t mean there isn’t more to the story. Why don’t you tell me about him? It might make this whole process easier. That way I know what I’m getting into.”

She swallowed hard against the uncomfortable lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. “I thought we were going to talk about protecting Emily.”

“We are. I need to know what’s lurking around just out of my sight so I can make contingency plans.”

Taylor sighed.
Anything for Emily.
“Fine. But I’m expecting the same.”

A waiter came bearing a bottle of dark ruby wine and some sautéed mushrooms covered in a light coat of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

“Would you like some?”

Taylor inhaled the delicious aromas of fresh garlic, parsley, and white wine mixed with the earthy sweetness of the mushrooms. The tantalizing scent made her mouth ache for a taste. “They look fantastic.”

Reece gave her a grin. “They taste even better.” He piled several of the golden-brown button mushrooms on to her plate.

She bit into one, the juice of it swirling over her tongue, and savored it. In a matter of minutes they had polished off the mushrooms and were enjoying their wine.

The moment seemed so rare that Taylor was caught up in the rightness of it. It was like she had always been this way with him—sharing a meal, talking to each other—and yet he was a mystery to her. His strong jaw, sultry, brown eyes, and dark hair looked even sexier in the light of the flickering candle. Perhaps the wine was stronger than she thought.

“Tell me, Taylor. I want to understand what’s happened so that it doesn’t happen again.”

Lulled by the moment, Taylor let out the unvarnished truth. “Alyssa’s birth father, Michael, was very controlling. We met in college. He liked to have me dress a certain way, go out with his friends—never mine—and eat out where he liked. In short, everything in our relationship was fine, as long as it was
his
way. When it turned out that I was pregnant, for once it wasn’t about him, and he couldn’t take it. So—”