Baby in Her Arms (3 page)

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Authors: Judy Christenberry

Tags: #Romance, #Contemporary, #Historical, #Nonfiction, #Series

BOOK: Baby in Her Arms
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“Not upset. But Pop often said I was a changeling, unlike him and Kate.” She dismissed the silly pain that that thought always caused her. “I think I’ll get ready for bed. I usually get up at seven, but I’ll need to make it six-thirty so I can go home and change.” She paused and stared at the sleeping baby. “I hope I’ll know if Ginny needs help. I’m a very deep sleeper.”
Josh grinned at her. “I believe she’ll let you know. After being the recipient of her screams most of the evening, I’m an expert on how loud she can be.”
“I hope so,” Maggie agreed, but knowing her own ability to sleep through alarms, she still worried.
“I’ll get you a T-shirt to wear,” he said, acting as if he had complete faith in her. He took a T-shirt out of the dresser and then went back to the living room to get the toothbrush he’d bought her.
After taking it from him and saying good-night, Maggie went to the master bath and prepared for bed, even taking a quick shower with her long brown hair pinned up on top. She washed out her underwear and hung it on the towel rack. Then, dressed in his shirt which came almost to her knees, she opened the bathroom door and peeked out.
Josh wasn’t in sight. She hurried over to the bed and slid beneath the covers. Just as her head hit the pillows, there was a knock on the door.
“Yes?” she called softly, her heart thudding.
“Do you need anything?” he asked through the door.
“No. We’re fine.” Or she would be if she could forget that Josh McKinley was sleeping in the next room. Had he forgotten his pajamas? Was that why he’d come to the door?
She almost asked if he needed to get anything before common sense warned her to say nothing. She didn’t think Josh McKinley looked like a pajamas kind of guy.
Great. Thinking about what he slept in wasn’t going to make it easier to get to sleep.
Josh called a soft good-night, and Maggie turned on her side and thumped the pillow. But several minutes of peace and quiet, broken only by the even breathing of the baby beside her, and, contrary to her expectations, Maggie drifted off to sleep.
A sudden ringing jerked Maggie from a deep slumber. She reached toward the sound and lifted the telephone receiver. “Hello?” she muttered, her head falling back onto the pillow.
She almost drifted back to sleep because no one said anything. Then a rough voice asked, “Where’s Mac?”
“I don’t know,” she muttered, and started to hang up the phone when the bedroom door opened.
“Maggie? Was that the phone?”
Why was a man in her bedroom? She stared at the shadowy figure, confused. “They want Mac.”
“That’s me.” He crossed to the side of the bed and took the phone from her. “Mac, here.”
Maggie let her eyes close, ignoring the conversation next to her. She wanted to go back to sleep.
“Damn! I’ll be right there.”
Blessed silence and she’d almost lost consciousness when that sexy voice intruded again. “Maggie, I have to go. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Umm-hmm.” The door closed again and she was in total darkness. Sleep claimed her.
 
“Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba!”
Maggie rolled over. What a strange night. First she’d dreamed there was a man in her bedroom, and now someone—or something—was babbling.... Maggie sat bolt upright. The baby!
“Oh, Ginny, are you all right?”
The baby was lying on her tummy, drool running down her little chin, and she actually smiled at Maggie. Suddenly the day seemed brighter.
“I guess you are. Though I’d bet you’re ready for a diaper change and some breakfast. I’ll just have enough time to take care of those things if we hurry. Then your daddy can manage. I hope.”
Maggie slid from the bed and dashed into the bathroom to gather the slacks, shirt and underwear she’d worn last night. She’d have to change while watching Ginny to make sure the baby didn’t fall off the bed.
Once she was dressed, Maggie picked up the baby and opened the bedroom door. “Maybe we should be quiet in case your daddy is still sleeping,” she said softly.
Tiptoeing into the living room, Maggie came to an abrupt halt when she discovered the sofa vacant. Ginny, unaware of Josh’s absence, began to whimper, distracting Maggie from her discovery.
She located the diapers and returned to the bedroom, snatching up a clean sleeper from the suitcase. As she quickly changed the baby, she tried to figure out where Josh was. Maybe he’d gone out to get a paper. Or bagels? Her stomach rumbled at the thought. Or maybe he was in the hall bathroom. She hadn’t heard the water running, but then she was concentrating on Ginny.
“There, now you feel better, don’t you, sweet girl? Let’s go scramble you some eggs for breakfast.”
She surreptitiously checked the hall bathroom on the way to the kitchen, but it was empty. No one in the kitchen, either. How was she going to scramble eggs and hold Ginny at the same time?
Returning to the suitcases in the bedroom, she found a large baby blanket. Pulling the comforter off the bed, she folded it several times and put it on the floor in the living room and spread the baby blanket over it. She put Ginny in the center of it with one of her stuffed animals. The baby seemed content.
Maggie hurried to the kitchen. She might not be the cook her sister was, but she could scramble eggs. Only a couple of minutes later she carried a saucer of scrambled eggs and a hastily refilled bottle to Ginny.
Two hours after that, with Ginny contentedly playing, Maggie sat rigidly on the sofa, staring at the morning news on the television. She’d turned the TV on to see if Josh McKinley had made the headlines overnight. He hadn’t come back from any of the places she’d imagined he’d gone.
Then, as she waited, vague memories of a phone call in the night came to her. And Josh telling her he’d return as soon as possible. She wondered just how long that could be.
Because
she
had to go to work. She’d been with the accounting firm of Jones, Kemper & Jones ever since she’d graduated from college four years ago. And she’d never missed a day of work.
But today she’d had to call in sick. She figured Josh McKinley would be on TV news tonight because either he’d been the victim of a violent crime, or she was going to kill him when he walked through the door.
Chapter Three
 
I
t wasn’t until Josh emerged into the sunshine at about ten o‘clock that morning that he remembered Ginny...and Maggie O’Connor.
And suddenly he was reminded why he’d never considered remarrying and having children.
“Damn,” he muttered beneath his breath.
The man beside him, the one who’d called him in the middle of the night, his best employee, Pete, asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“You sure it doesn’t have anything to do with the sexy lady who answered your phone at three in the morning?”
“I guess that’s why you’re so good at your job, Pete. You figure things out.” He shrugged his shoulders, trying to dismiss any concern.
“Don’t worry, boss. She’ll come back. You know this P.I. stuff makes them think you’re a combination of Superman and Dick Tracy.”
Josh stared at his employee as if seeing him for the first time. “And you play it for all it’s worth?”
Pete must’ve picked up on Josh’s tone of voice, because his own grew more serious. “Only if it’s what they want. You know how women are.”
He’d thought he did. But somehow he didn’t think a certain lady was going to accept his occupation as a reason to abandon his child. What was he going to do?
“Do we have anything else that can’t wait?” Josh asked, his lack of sleep finally hitting him.
“I don’t think so. Want me and Don to handle things for a day or two?”
“Yeah. Take some time off today to catch up on your sleep, but tell Sharon not to call me unless its unavoidable. I’ve got some things to do.”
“Right, boss.”
Josh strode toward his four-wheel-drive vehicle, feeling about ninety years old. He used to be able to pull an all-nighter without a problem. Was he getting too old at age thirty-three? Pete was only about five years younger.
No, it must be the worry about Maggie and Ginny. He already knew what Maggie’s reaction would be. He’d seen his mother limit his father’s. life because she wanted him to conform to her rules.
His father had been a fireman, dedicated to his job. He’d finally given it up when Josh was ten, selling insurance for a living the rest of,his life.
And as unhappy as any man could be.
Josh had married when he was twenty-four. He’d thought he was in love. But he made sure he explained his work and why he wouldn’t give it up. Six months later he’d walked out because she insisted he go to work for her father.
No way, no how.
Then he’d met Julie, Ginny’s mom. She hadn’t liked his job, either. But he’d explained his terms. They’d rocked along for almost a year. Until they both realized the other was convenient for good sex and a fun date—but nothing more.
She’d left, and she hadn’t bothered to tell him about Ginny.
Sliding behind the wheel, he sighed. What was he going to do? As Maggie had pointed out, he had to make some decisions, not just about today but long-term.
But first he had to face Maggie.
When he walked into the apartment, Maggie was on the phone and Ginny wasn’t in sight.
“I’ll be over in a little while, Kate. Mr. McKinley just arrived.”
Josh winced as she hung up the phone. Her sarcastic tone confirmed what he’d expected.
“Sorry, Maggie.”
“How interesting,” she said coolly. “You say that as if you expect your apology to be enough.” She folded her arms over her nicely shaped chest and glared at him.
“I say that because I don’t know what else to say.”
She didn’t respond. He guessed Pete was wrong. Being a private investigator wasn’t winning him many points.
“Look, Maggie, it was an important case for my best client. There was a man who was about to get away with a lot of money.”
“And Ginny? What if I hadn’t been here?”
It struck Josh that she hadn’t complained for herself. Only for his child. And she had a valid point.
“I don’t know.”
“Josh, a baby can’t be—”
He lifted his lids, trying to stave off sleep, wondering why she’d stopped.
“You haven’t had any sleep, have you?”
He shook his head. Frowning, he looked around again. “Where’s Ginny?”
“In bed, taking a nap. I suggest you join her.”
A miracle. He’d discovered a woman who knew what he needed. With a thankful smile, he struggled to his feet and headed to the bedroom. Then he came to an abrupt halt.
She’d also gotten up. And picked up her purse.
“Where are you going?”
“Home. If I hurry, I can change and make it to the office for a half day of work.”
All thought of sleep left him. “No! You can’t go! I need you.”
“Mr. McKinley, in spite of your lack of sleep, I think you’ll have to admit I kept my promise. I told you I had to leave at seven-thirty. It’s now ten-thirty. Enough is enough.”
His tired brain wasn’t functioning at top speed. “But—but what if she wakes up?”
“You change her diaper, feed her and cuddle her. It’s simple.” She started toward the door.
He might be tired, but he could still run. He beat her to the door, leaning against it, making it impossible for her to leave. “Maggie, just a few hours more.”
“I can’t believe you have the nerve to—”
He held up his hands. “I know. You’ve been more than generous. But as soon as I get some sleep, I need to go shopping for all the things she’ll need. And I don’t even know what she can eat. Just help me with those things. Please, Maggie? I’m more than willing to pay you for your time.”
 
Maggie stared at the man in front of her. The dark circles under his eyes and the slump of his shoulders pleaded for her to be understanding, even more than his words. Josh McKinley had had a rough night.
But Maggie believed that as long as she was his crutch, he would never deal with his baby girl. He wouldn’t change his life to include Ginny.
“Josh,” she began, reverting to his first name instead of the more formal Mr. McKinley, “you can’t stash a baby somewhere and then disappear. You’re going to have to change your life.”
“I will, I promise, Maggie, but give me today. You’ve already missed half a day. What’s another half? I bet you seldom miss work.”
Maggie could have told him she
never
missed work, but Kate had assured her that wasn’t always an admirable trait. And he was right. Her perfect attendance record was gone, whether she missed a half day or the rest of the year.
Trying to ignore the relief that was flooding through her, she said, “All right. I’ll stay and help you shop. While you sleep, I’ll make a list.”
To her surprise, he leaned forward and cupped her face in one of his large hands, placing a kiss on her cheek. “Thanks, Maggie. You’re a doll.”
Then he stumbled into the bedroom, softly closing the door behind him.
Maggie stood there, staring at the space Josh had occupied, touching her cheek. She was staying for Ginny. She told herself she needed to repeat those words over and over again.
Until she forgot the excitement that had filled her at his touch.
Until she dismissed his words and the yearning to believe them.
Until she remembered she was just Maggie.
 
“Josh, you’ve already bought a bed, a playpen and a high chair. Do you really think you need to buy a swimming pool?” Maggie asked in disbelief.
“But she enjoyed her bath so much, Maggie,” Josh observed. “Don’t you think she’d like this little swimming pool?”
Maggie stared at the stranger in front of her. Gone was the private investigator. In his place was a doting father. As long as he didn’t have to hold his baby.
Every time she’d suggested he hold the baby, he’d had a reason not to. He’d watched Maggie bathe Ginny, chuckling over Ginny’s enthusiastic splashing. He’d fixed another bottle for her, but he’d insisted Maggie should feed her.
Now he was willing to buy almost anything and everything in the store.
“No swimming pool. You don’t have room for it.” She pushed the buggy down the aisle.
“How about a stroller?”
Maggie turned around and found Josh had only moved a couple of feet and was studying some very elaborate strollers.
“Josh, we have to finish. I still have a long drive home, and we haven’t been grocery shopping yet.”
She’d intentionally mentioned her going home. Josh had sworn he only needed her to help with the shopping. She needed to keep reminding them both of that.
When he’d pleaded with her to stay, she’d been honest enough to admit to herself that she was relieved. Ginny was firmly wrapped around her heart.
And that was the main reason she had to go.
“You’re right, Maggie. We’ve certainly taken advantage of your good nature.” He accompanied his charming words with an even more charming smile.
She returned his smile, careful to hide the disappointment inside her. Disappointment? She should be thrilled to return to her own life.
“I found a big book about babies on the other aisle. I think I’ll add it to our purchases. Then I can study up on what to do.”
“You can always call me if...if you have a question. I’ll leave my number for you.” The only problem would be whether she knew the answer. Her own experience was limited to taking care of her nephew, Nathan, for an hour or two at a time. But somehow she couldn’t face losing touch with Ginny and her sexy daddy.
“That’s very nice of you.”
Maggie knew it wasn’t niceness that had prompted her words.
“Will you watch her while I go find that book?”
“Of course.” Replaced by a book. That didn’t say much for her mothering skills, did it? Maggie turned to the gurgling baby, sitting in the baby seat in the buggy, her heart lifting at the happy sound. “We haven’t done so badly, so far, though, have we Ginny?” she said softly.
When Josh returned with the aforementioned book, he added it to the pile of purchases. “Can you think of anything else we need?”
“No, Josh. I think you’ve bought enough things for ten babies.”
“Gosh, I hope I don’t get any more,” he said, eyes wide. “It’s a frightening thought, that I might have more babies out there that I don’t know about.” He moved ahead of the buggy, hooking his finger in the front of it and pulling it toward a checker. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
Maggie didn’t argue. Lifting Ginny out of the seat, she cuddled the baby against her. The approaching departure, leaving Josh and Ginny on their own, already hurt. But she had no place in their lives. Better to leave now, while she could survive, than to hang around until he didn’t need her anymore.
Josh got one of the stock boys to help him load all their purchases in the back of his Jeep Cherokee. Maggie strapped Ginny in her car seat, handing her a rattle Josh had insisted she needed.
“Here, sweetheart. Enjoy.”
After a kiss on Ginny’s chubby little cheek, Maggie got in the front seat and fastened her seat belt. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Josh did the same.
He said nothing until they reached the grocery store. Then, however, he reached over and caught Maggie’s arm as she started to get out.
“Wait. I just want to tell you again how much I appreciate all you’ve done for me...and Ginny. I don’t know how I would’ve managed without you.”
His words were sweet. His touch took her breath away.
“It was nothing.”
“It was a lot, to trust me like you did.”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I’d be glad to take care of Ginny a little longer if I didn’t have to work.”
“Like you said, that would solve my problem for one night, but I’ve got to make some long-term changes.” He frowned. “I’m just not sure exactly what they are.”
“You’ll need to find a nanny. Someone who will live in, to cover for you when you have to go out late. There are agencies you can call.”
“How soon do you think they’ll be able to find someone? I mean, I’ll take off work, but emergencies happen.”
Maggie’s pulse sped up. She stopped to consider before she spoke. After all, she’d never been impulsive. But the past twenty-four hours with Josh and Ginny had been more exciting and pleasurable than any in the past year. For that matter, years.
She’d hidden from life most of her existence. But her father’s death had taught her an important lesson. Life offered no guarantees. She’d promised herself she would learn to live it more joyfully. But all she’d done was follow the same routine she’d established long ago.
Her father would’ve hated such cowardice.

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