Kings of California: Bargaining for King's Baby. Maureen Child

meant no harm,” Sal told her.

      Gina’s heart melted a little. No matter how furious he made her, she’d loved him too long to stay mad forever. “I know that, Papa. But please stay out of my love life.”

      “Yes, yes,” he said.

      When her parents started arguing again, Gina left them to it. She was just too tired to hold up her end of the battle. Walking across the ranch yard, she went straight to her own small house and stepped inside. It was quiet. Empty. She didn’t even have a pet. Since she spent so much time with her horses, it seemed silly to have another animal around.

      She stopped just inside the living room. Her gaze swept quickly around the familiar space but it was as if she were seeing it with new eyes.

      Here, too, just like up at the main house, there were framed photos. Pictures of her nieces and nephews. Laughing kids with gap-toothed smiles. Snapshots of days spent at amusement parks, on the Gypsy horses, eating at her kitchen table. There were drawings taped to the wall, too, each signed by the young artist.

      And there were toys. Some scattered across her coffee table, others in a chest she kept under her front window. Baby dolls and fire trucks. GameBoys and coloring books.

      In a blink, Gina knew that this was the pattern of her life. As it was. As it would always be. She would forever be the favorite aunt. The children she loved would never be her own. And she would no doubt end up an old woman, alone, with a houseful of cats.

      Tears stung the backs of her eyes as she imagined it, the years spilling out in front of her so clearly, it made her head spin. Her house wasn’t a home. It was a place where she slept. It was a place that children visited and never stayed. It was a place that would forever be haunted by the ghosts of the children she might have had.

      Unless she did something outrageous.

      Something no one would expect.

      Least of all Adam King.

      Four

      A dinner date with Adam King—especially this one—required nothing less than a new dress.

      Turning in front of her mirror, Gina took a long, critical look and decided she looked pretty good. The black dress hit just above her knee and the full skirt swirled out when she turned. The bodice dipped low enough to give a peek at what was hidden beneath the silky fabric, and the sleeveless straps over her shoulders were narrow, delicate.

      Her hair hung in a cascade of curls down her back and her new high-heeled sandals gave her an extra three inches of height.

      “Okay,” she said, smiling at the woman in the glass. “I can do this. Everything’s gonna be great. I am sooooo ready.”

      Her reflection was not convinced. Frowning a little, Gina jolted at the knock on her front door. “Oh, yeah. You’re ready.”

      Shaking her head, she snapped up her black clutch bag and headed for the front of the little house. When she opened the door, though, she found not Adam, but her brother Tony standing on the porch.

      Hands on his hips, he said, “I just talked to Mom and thought I’d better come see you.”

      “No time,” she said, looking past him at the driveway to the road.

      “Why not?”

      “I have a date.” She waved one hand at him in a “shooing” motion. “Me. Going out. Thanks for stopping by. Bye now.”

      He paid no attention to that at all, just stalked past her into the house. Gina sighed at the dust his boots left on the floor, then she turned and said, “What’re you doing here?”

      “Mom told me what Pop did.”

      “Fabulous.” Had her mom called Peter and Nicky, too, to bring them up to speed on the pitiful wasteland that was Gina’s love life? Was she going to take out an ad in the Birkfield paper, too?

      “I just want to say, Pop was out of line. You don’t need him to find you a man.”

      “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” she said and waved at the still open front door, trying to get her brother out of there before Adam showed up.

      “Because, if you want a guy, I can find one for you.”

      “No.”

      Tony shrugged. “I’m just saying…Mike over at the bank? Great guy. Good job…”

      “Did you learn nothing from Papa?”

      “Pop’s mistake was going for Adam. Adam’s a bad bet,” Tony said. “He’s a good guy, but he’s shut down emotionally.”

      “Huh?” Gina shook her head. “You’ve been reading Vickie’s magazines again, haven’t you?”

      He grinned and the Torino golden eyes twinkled at her. “Gotta keep up. Don’t want the wife thinking I’m just a dumb ranch hand.”

      “Uh-huh. How about you go home and tell her that?”

      “What’s the rush?” Then he seemed to notice her for the first time. He gave a long, slow whistle. “Wow. You look…did you say you have a date?”

      Insulted, she demanded, “Why do you sound so surprised?”

      “You never go out.”

      “Not true.” Okay, semitrue. She wasn’t a shy little wallflower virgin, but she wasn’t exactly party central, either. And why couldn’t she have had sisters instead of three well-meaning, but interfering older brothers?

      “Who’s this date with?”

      “None of your business. Gee, look at the time.”

      “Why don’t you want to tell me who this guy—”

      “Hi, Tony.”

      They both turned at the sound of the deep voice. Adam stood on her porch, the wash of lamplight spilling out of the house to welcome him. He wore a well-tailored black suit with a dark red tie and he looked as at home in the elegantly cut suit as he did in his jeans and boots. As he looked from her to Tony and back again, his dark eyes shone with interest and what Gina suspected was humor.

      So how long had he been standing there?

      “Adam,” Tony said with a nod, stepping out in front of his sister to hold out one hand.

      Adam shook his hand, then shifted his gaze to Gina. The power of his stare was enough to make her head go light and her heart jitter in her chest.

      “You look lovely,” he said.

      “Thanks. Um, Tony was just leaving.”

      “No, I wasn’t.”

      “Well, we are,” Adam countered and held out one hand to Gina.

      The look on Tony’s face was priceless. Gina smiled as she slipped past her brother to join Adam on the porch. Then she threw Tony a look over her shoulder. “Lock up when you leave, okay?”

      The restaurant was amazing. Sitting atop a cliff overlooking the ocean, one entire wall of Serenity was glass, providing a breathtaking view of moonlight, waves crashing against the rocks below. Overhead lighting in the sprawling building was deliberately faint, as if each wall and ceiling sconce had been chosen to define the darkness rather than defeat it.

      The musical clink of crystal and the whisper of muted conversations were flavored with soft jazz piping from the three piece band. Completing the atmosphere, each round table boasted a single votive candle and the effect of dozens of flickering flames was nearly magical.

      All in all, it had been a perfect evening. Adam was considerate, charming and never even hinted at the deal her father had broached to him. And while Gina was enjoying herself, she’d been dealing with a twist of nerves in her stomach since the hostess had first seated them. Now that dinner was over and they were sipping a