Angel Baby (5 page)

Don’t do
it an inner voice said. He knew he should
probably find some reason not to hire this woman. The mere fact that he’d been
unable to get her out of his mind for months after their last encounter should
have him erecting all kinds of barriers.

But that was different. She’d been giving birth, they’d been
in an incredibly unusual situation. This was business, plain and simple. He
needed someone to do a specific job, and he suspected she could do it very well.
That was all—nothing more, nothing personal.  

He’d make sure of that.

So, before that inner voice of caution could remind him that
this was a very bad idea, Chase found himself saying, “Well, Claudia Warren, it
looks like you have yourself a job.”

“Welcome home!”

Claudia grinned as Melanie bounded down the two front steps
of the small house and ran toward her, shouting the greeting. Sarah peered
curiously around the side of her baby seat, obviously impatient to get out
after their long drive. Remaining by the open car door, she murmured, “Just a
second baby, I think I’m gonna get bowled over by Aunt Melanie.”

Close to it. Melanie threw her arms around Claudia’s
shoulder and squeezed tight. “It’s about time—I’ve been waiting all afternoon!”

Claudia laughed. “You act as if you haven’t seen me for a
year…it’s only been three weeks since I was here for the interview.” 

“But this time, you’re staying. You’re home for good,”
Melanie said, nearly dancing in excitement.

“I still haven’t gotten used to the idea,” Claudia admitted.
“It’s happened so fast.”

 “Hey, Paxton’s no dummy. He wasn’t about to take the chance
that some other smart company would steal you out from under him. Besides,
since it turns out he’s the Sir Galahad who helped you when Sarah was born,
maybe he wants to keep you close as evidence of his good deeds.”

Claudia laughed, then turned back to the car to unbuckle
Sarah’s seat. Taking the baby out of the car, she lifted her up into the air
and said, “We’re here, babycakes. Our new home town.”

Melanie reached into the car and grabbed the baby’s diaper
bag. Shutting the car door with her hip, she led Claudia toward the house. 

“We’ll let Ryan get the rest of your stuff,” Melanie said,
nodding toward the luggage piled on the back seat of the car. “He should be
home in about an hour.”

“You’re sure you don’t mind us staying here for a few days
until I find a place?”

The petite blonde shot her an exasperated look as they
entered the house. Dropping the bag on the floor, Melanie put a fist on her
hip. “Are you kidding? It’s all Ryan and I have been talking about. He’s been
whining about not having a decent card player in the house for so long...be
prepared for long nights of penny poker.”

“Well, as long as you’re prepared for long days of active
baby.”

Melanie reached out a hand and brushed a silky red-brown
curl off Sarah’s forehead. She smiled wistfully, and Claudia gladly offered the
baby to her friend. Melanie took her and pressed soft kisses on her temple.
“I’m definitely prepared. This will be just wonderful for me.”

Claudia bit the corner of her lip, still worried about her
friend’s offer. “You’re sure you want to take on a full-time babysitting job? I
thought the idea of you quitting work when you moved away from Milltown was so
you could concentrate on your writing.”

“Look, I write best at night, anyway. Besides, the experts
always say to write what you know. How can I write children’s books if I’m not
around children? Honestly, Claude, I am so happy to be able to spend time with
Sarah. I can’t think of a better job for me,” Melanie said softly.

Claudia caught the sheen of tears in her friend’s eyes, and
knew Melanie was still grieving over the miscarriage she’d had a year before.
The fact that she hadn’t been able to conceive another baby weighed on her
terribly.

“I promise we’ll be model house-guests. Sarah will even be
helpful...she can find the tiniest Cheerio buried in the thickest carpet.”

“My goddaughter is a genius!”

Through the open window, Claudia heard the sound of gravel
crunching in the short driveway. Glancing outside, she saw a white pickup truck
with the Paxton Construction logo parking on the side of the house. 

Melanie said, “It must be Ryan. He’s earlier than I
expected. Why don’t you put him to work getting your stuff while I practice
changing diapers for Miss Soggy-Drawers here.”

Claudia nodded mischievously and leaned toward the open
window while Melanie carried the baby out of the room. Grinning, she yelled,
“Hey, you, Muscle-Man! Get the lead out...start hauling those bags in here,
willya?”

She couldn’t see Ryan around the corner of the house, but
heard his footsteps on the walkway just before he stepped into view. Shock ran
through Claudia as she realized she had yelled not at Ryan, but instead at her
new boss, Chase Paxton.

“Oh, no,” she moaned. Claudia rushed to the front door and
burst outside. “I’m so sorry. I thought you were Ryan.”

Chase raised a quizzical eyebrow as Claudia frantically
hopped down the front steps and skidded to a halt directly in front of him.

“I’m glad to know my new foreman has a future as a bellhop,”
he said dryly.

Claudia winced a little, realizing her tiny hope that
perhaps Chase hadn’t heard her was dashed.

“It’s all right, Claude. Where are the bags you need hauled
in?” Chase glanced around, spied her yellow hatchback parked in the street in
front of the house, and walked toward it.

“Oh, no, please, we can get it,” Claudia insisted as she
rushed after him.

“Save it, Red. Just catch the door for me, okay?”

Claudia frowned at the unfamiliar nickname, since she was
more of a brunette than a redhead, but didn’t take offense at his gruff tone.
She'd gotten used to it in their few encounters.

Walking back up the steps to the porch, she held open the
screen door as Chase bent over to retrieve two large suitcases from her car and
carry them across the small front lawn. The late afternoon sun caught blondish
highlights in his dark brown hair, and Claudia let her eyes drift over the rest
of him. He was dressed casually, in a sleeveless white t-shirt, tight faded
jeans, and work boots. Dark sunglasses shielded his velvety-brown eyes. Claudia
tried to avert her gaze in case he was looking at her looking at him. But she
couldn’t resist watching him walk. Her eyes returned to him of their own
volition. She could see the play of muscles in his thick arms, saw the rippling
chest in the tight shirt, and her breath caught in her throat.

Chase Paxton wasn’t a huge man, was probably only two or
three inches taller than her five-nine. But he had incredible presence. He
exuded masculinity, and against her will, she again reacted to it. Her senses
were intensely aware of him, from the sight of his jeans sliding against his
calves as he walked, to the intoxicating scent of his cologne. His face, in
profile, looked stark and hard, but his full mouth gave evidence of a deep
sensuality. A few springy locks of hair tried to curl slightly above his ear,
making Claudia wonder if they’d feel as soft as they looked.   

For the first time in ages, Claudia felt a strange warm ache
deep in her body, and recognized it for what it was. She was attracted to him.
Physically attracted.

Part of her was overjoyed that the feelings she’d thought
would never strike her again had rekindled with such sudden intensity, while
another part of her was sad, acknowledging that she truly was getting over
Joe’s death.
How strange to mourn the end of mourning.

Not thinking about it, Claudia quickly smoothed her
travel-rumpled clothes. Lowering her lashes slightly, she surreptitiously
continued to watch him.

 “Gonna stand there all day, Red? Or are you gonna move so I
can come in?”

Claudia flushed. She could feel the hot blood rising into
her cheeks as she realized she’d been blocking his path. Chase stood on the
bottom step, with one suitcase resting on his bent knee as he stared up at her.
She still couldn’t see his eyes through the dark glasses, and wondered what he
must be thinking. “I’m sorry, of course, come in,” she stammered as she moved
out of his way.

Chase watched her, and couldn’t help wondering about her
sudden skittishness. She looked nervous as hell. Figuring she was still worried
he’d been offended at her orders to carry her bags, Chase shrugged and walked
up the second step.

Instead of just staying on the porch and holding the door
for him, Claudia stepped into the cool foyer and pushed the door out. Chase
stared at her again, noticing that her eyes were glued to his work boots. He
wondered at her shyness. The doorway wasn’t very wide, and he had to turn
nearly sideways as he carried the bags in the house, forcing him to brush up
against her as he passed.

The contact was utterly electric.

Her eyes shot up to his face as his chest and hip brushed
against hers. Chase swore the color rose even higher in her cheeks. His own
body suddenly felt hot as his breaths became choppy.

They froze right there in the doorway. For a long second,
they stood there, chest to chest, just staring at each other. And not for the
first time, Chase admitted, at least to himself, that she was one hell of a
beautiful woman.

“Don’t stand there letting flies in, Ryan.”

Chase jerked his head around as a pretty blond woman came
around the corner into the foyer.

“Oh...you’re not Ryan,” she said, confusion sweeping over
her features.

Claudia quickly let go of the screen door, allowing it to
slam shut, and scooted out of the way. Chase set her bags down in the foyer, noting
that Claudia was trying very hard not to meet his eye.   

“I’m Chase Paxton, Mrs. Schumacher.”

A broad smile broke over the blonde’s face, and she eagerly
came forward, her hand extended in greeting. “How nice to meet you at last.
Ryan talks about you all the time. And, of course, Claudia has told us all
about your heroism.”

Chase pushed his sunglasses up onto the top of his head,
glancing toward Claudia. She still wouldn’t look at him.

She’d felt it, too. He knew it, had sensed it even before he
saw the look in her eyes. She was as physically aware of him as he was of her.

Great. Wonderful. She was about to start working for him and
they both had to pick now to acknowledge this attraction between them?

So, what the hell are we going to do about it?

 “Can I offer you some lemonade, Mr. Paxton?” Melanie asked.

“No, thanks, I just came by because Ryan mentioned Claudia
was arriving this afternoon. I wanted to see if she needed anything.” Chase
shifted his attention to Claudia and asked, “Do you?”

She finally looked at him and forced a tight smile. “No,
everything’s fine. I have a large chunk of money to give back to you. Your
relocation check was very generous, but there really wasn’t much to move.”

“You’re not finished moving yet,” Chase replied with a
shrug. “You’re still going to need to find a place to live, and that could run
into money. Hold onto it.”

“I don’t need charity, Mr. Paxton,” Claudia said, sounding a
little annoyed by the offer.

He frowned. “I’m not offering charity, Mrs. Warren. Use the
relocation money, account for it on an expense report, and we’ll square up when
you’re settled. You’re my employee, and that’s the same offer I’d make to
anyone I just hired from out of the area.”

Claudia nodded, as if recognizing she’d been overly sensitive.
“Fine. And thank you.”

Chase saw the pride in her squared shoulders, and realized
why she’d reacted the way she had. Here was a woman who would not take anything
she hadn’t earned. He already knew she was amazingly resilient—seeing her give
birth had certainly proved that. She was also tremendously proud and
self-sufficient. All of which just added to her beauty to make her one nearly
irresistible woman.

Chase couldn’t resist letting his gaze fall over her loose
brown hair, spread across her shoulders and halfway down her back in a thick,
red-tinged brown wave. Her embarrassment had brought a lot of color to her
cheeks; her eyes sparkled. He couldn’t resist glancing over the rest of her,
acknowledging that she had the longest, shapeliest pair of legs he’d ever
seen...and Chase appreciated the white shorts that allowed him to see them.

Suddenly, behind those sleek calves, Chase saw a little head
appear. Tufts of auburn hair curled around a chubby face, and a pair of eyes as
green as emeralds peeked at him.

“Sarah?” he asked wonderingly.

Chase didn’t like babies. Well, it wasn’t really that he didn’t
like them, he supposed, he’d just never been around them. But this one.... “What
a little angel,” he whispered, a vortex of emotions swirling through him as he
remembered what it had been like to see this human being enter the world.

The baby had crawled up to her mother, grabbed her leg and
was now trying to pull herself up to her feet. Claudia smiled down at her, then
looked back at him. “She’s changed a little, right?” she asked dryly.

Chase couldn’t stop staring at the child he’d helped deliver
almost ten months before. How could she have changed this much? Whenever he
thought about the baby, he’d pictured a splotchy red newborn with drawn up legs
more resembling a frog’s than a human’s. Now, here was a complete little person
with a stout, sturdy body, pudgy pink arms, and a face as sweet as an angel.

Chase realized he was frowning as he stared at her, because
the baby looked back at him in silent intensity. Her lower lip slid out the
tiniest bit, then a bit more until she was pouting ferociously. He recognized
the pout. He’d seen it on her mother’s face during Sarah’s birth. Suddenly, he
grinned, and the baby responded with a huge smile of her own.