Finding Family...and Forever?. Teresa Southwick

a problem?”

      “Not at all.” She cut a rigatoni and speared half with her fork but didn’t eat it. “How was your day?”

      This question had come up every night since she’d taken over from Sylvia, but this time it smacked of changing the subject. There was no subtle way to push harder, so he decided to back off. But he couldn’t resist giving her a taste of her own medicine.

      “My day was fine,” he said.

      “I’m glad.”

      After that, they made small talk while he finished dinner. She ate very little, mostly pushing her food around the plate. When Kyle got grouchy and restless, she jumped at the chance to take him upstairs for a bath.

      “I’ll clean up the kitchen,” he said.

      “No, leave it for me.”

      Emma scooped Kyle out of the high chair and held him against her, oblivious to the red sauce and smashed peas that got all over her shirt. He couldn’t help comparing her to the baby’s mother, who wouldn’t touch her own child if he was less than immaculate.

      “You do enough,” he insisted. “I don’t mind squaring things away here.”

      She looked as if she wanted to protest but nodded and carried Kyle out of the kitchen and upstairs.

      Justin stowed the leftovers, rinsed plates and utensils then scrubbed the pots. The busywork occupied his hands, but his mind raced. He thought about the employees at the clinic, body language and bad mood indicating when someone was dealing with a personal problem. It never occurred to him to get involved, but none of the clinic staff lived under his roof and cared for the child he loved more than anything in the world.

      He heard sounds from upstairs—splashing, laughter and baby chatter. There was clinic paperwork to do, but he suddenly felt as if he were on the outside looking in. After drying his hands, he went upstairs and found the two of them in the bathroom where water was draining out of the tub.

      Emma covered her front with a thick terry-cloth towel then lifted the baby out of the tub and wrapped him up. She carried him to the nursery then diapered him as quickly as possible. All the red-and-green smears were gone, although she still sported them on her clothes. But Kyle was now a clean boy with neatly combed hair.

      “That was quick,” Justin said.

      “He’s tired.” With quick efficiency, she put the baby in a small, soft blue one-piece sleeper and picked him up. Then she headed for the glider chair in the corner beside the crib. “It was a busy day. You can see the signs when he’s had it and is ready to go to sleep.”

      “I’ll rock him tonight. You take a break.”

      “That’s not necessary—”

      “I insist. Kyle had a busy day, which means yours was even more tiring. Just take some time and relax.”

      She tilted her head and studied him. “Are you sure?”

      “Positive.”

      “Okay.” She walked over and started to hand the baby to Justin, but he let out a wail and clung to her, curling against her with his face buried in her neck. “I’m sorry. Do you want to just grab him?”

      “No.” He moved close and put his hand on the small back. “It’s okay, buddy. I know you’re tired.”

      And his son wasn’t the only one. That was as good an explanation as any for his own intense reaction to the warmth of Emma’s skin, the scent of her that twisted his senses into a knot of need. The only good thing was that it pushed jealousy out of the number-one position.

      “Kyle?” Emma crooned softly. “Daddy’s here. Don’t you want some man time with him?”

      As if he understood, the baby lifted his head and held out his arms. Justin took him and said, “That’s my guy. We’re just going to sit in the glider and have a little chat. I’ll tell you a story. I get the feeling that reading would be a bad idea tonight.”

      “I think you’re right about that.” Emma headed for the door. “You’re sure you don’t mind?”

      “Yeah, I’m sure. I don’t do this enough.”

      The baby clinging to her was proof. On the one hand, he was glad Kyle had bonded with her so completely. The flip side of that was that Justin didn’t have the same connection. It was good to have a reminder that he needed to spend more quality time with his son.

      Just before walking out of the room, Emma stopped. “Justin?”

      “Hmm?” He sat in the chair and settled the baby to his chest, then met her gaze.

      “Would you mind if I borrowed your computer in the office? My laptop is acting squirrelly.”

      “Of course.” He smiled and started the chair gliding back and forth. Almost instantly Kyle relaxed into him. “And, for the record, squirrelly is not an official technological term.”

      The corners of her full lips turned up. “And there’s a good reason for that. I don’t speak fluent tech.”

      “Ah.”

      “Thanks.”

      Her words were light and teasing but didn’t match the expression on her face. It could only be described as tense, distracted. Before he could study her more, she was gone.

      He rubbed his hand over his son’s back and moved slowly, lulling him to sleep. “What’s going on with your nanny, Kyle? You obviously are attached to her and I’m glad about that, but there’s something up with her. The good news is that she’s not very good at hiding her feelings.”

      In a matter of minutes, his baby boy was sound asleep. He waited a little longer, moving gently to make sure before putting him down in the crib. A short time later, that was accomplished without a peep, and Justin covered him with a baby blanket, then softly kissed the tiny forehead.

      “I love you, buddy.” For a few moments he stood over his son, watching the rhythmic rise and fall of the little chest, savoring the peace of knowing his child was safe and happy.

      He picked up the baby monitor and soundlessly left the room, going downstairs. Emma was nowhere in sight and he remembered she was using his home computer. After pouring himself a cup of coffee, he walked down the hall and into his office. Emma’s back was to him as she looked at the computer monitor and he moved closer to the desk.

      On the screen in big, bold letters was a newspaper headline that read, “KIDNAPPED! BABY GIRL DISAPPEARS. STOLEN FROM A BLACKWATER LAKE FAMILY.”

      The date on the article was about twenty-eight years before, and Emma was completely engrossed in reading the information. She hadn’t heard him approach and never looked up.

      This appeared to be a private thing, but Justin didn’t give a flying fig if he was overstepping. She had some explaining to do and it was going to happen now.

      “Interesting stuff,” he said.

      She jumped, then pressed her hand to her chest and swiveled the chair around to look at him. “Good gracious. You startled me.”

      “Startling pretty well describes it. And I’m talking about what you’re reading on the computer.” The look on her face told him that she was hiding something. “What’s going on, Emma?”

      “If you want to look for another nanny, I completely understand. And that would probably be best since I lied to you.”

      Uh-oh. Just a while ago he’d thought that if she had a flaw he couldn’t see it. Well, she’d just pointed one out and it was a beaut. What could possibly be so bad that Emma felt she had to keep it from him? If she’d broken the law, it would have turned up in her background check. Her record was spotless yet she’d just admitted she’d been less than honest.

      Could a woman as sweet as Emma seemed to be have something