Yuletide Baby Bargain Page 14

  Her shoulders sagged. She couldn’t imagine how painful that had to have been.

  He was on a roll, though. “But then when we confronted Dana about which one of us was the baby’s father, it turned out that neither of us was. She was cheating on me with him. And cheating on him with someone else. Just one, big damn sick soap opera with my twisted ex-wife at the center.”

  Maddie didn’t even realize she’d reached for his hand until her fingertips grazed him. “Now I understand why you said you and Jax don’t talk much. You probably never forgave—”

  Linc turned his hand and squeezed hers briefly, then let go. “Don’t. Don’t make so much of this. Jax was as much a sap as I was. More, because he still lets her suck him in whenever she gets bored. He’s no saint. He’s pulling stunts all the time that cause problems. But he’s still my little brother.” She felt more than saw him spread his hands. “So. There you have it. The sordid tale of the brothers Swift. We are the logical by-product of Jolene and Blake Swift. Cheaters, one and all.”

  Maybe Jax was. As friendly as they’d remained over the years, he’d never divulged a word about any of this to Maddie.

  What would she do if one of her sisters betrayed her so deeply?

  The question didn’t have an answer. Because she knew that they would never do such a thing.

  “So who have you cheated on, Linc?”

  His silence felt stoic.

  Her heart was pounding so hard it was a wonder that it didn’t wake up Layla. Or maybe it was the reason why she was already asleep. The comfort of heavy vibration. Like a truck engine.

  “You aren’t answering, because there is no answer. You haven’t cheated on anyone,” she concluded huskily. “It’s not in your nature.”

  “What do you know about my nature?”

  “I know more than you think.”

  “Really?” He suddenly stepped closer.

  Every one of Maddie’s nerve endings seemed to ripple. And there was still a baby positioned squarely between them.

  He lowered his head toward hers.

  Her heart beat even faster. She swallowed hard. If he kissed her, she wasn’t sure what she would do. Slap him? Ignore him?

  Kiss him back?

  She moistened her lips.

  His head was inches away from hers. His voice seemed to drop an octave. “Am I going to end up having to fight you for Layla?”

  “Wha—” She frowned, actually feeling a little dizzy. She took a step back and would have tipped right down the stairs if not for the way he grabbed her arms.

  Her heart lodged inside her chest even more tightly as she clutched him in return. “God.” Falling on the stairs would be bad enough. With the baby strapped to her chest, it would have been devastating.

  “You need a light when you use the stairs.”

  She felt shaky, but she still managed to shrug off his hold as she moved farther away from the steps.

  Kiss him?

  As if.

  “It’s not the lack of light. What do you mean fight me for Layla?”

  “You said you wanted her, too. The other night.”

  It had been a thoughtless admission. He hadn’t said anything at the time, and she’d hoped he’d forgotten. Or that he hadn’t taken any notice.

  So much for that idea.

  The backs of her eyes burned.

  She turned along the hallway and headed toward the nursery. “I would never fight you like that,” she said huskily.

  “Even if I find the nitwit wife I need?”

  She exhaled heavily, annoyance immediately swelling inside her. “For God’s sake, Linc. Wasn’t one bad marriage enough? You really want to have another? No woman in her right mind would seriously entertain the idea of a marriage of convenience with you! It would never work.”

  “Why the hell not?”

  “Because you’re—” She broke off and hurried through the nursery doorway. With the tiny plug-in nightlight, the room felt blindingly bright after the deep darkness in the hallway.

  Linc was hard on her heels. He was dressed in dark jeans and an equally dark long-sleeved pullover. Definitely not worn-out pajamas like she was wearing. He looked as dreamy as ever, while she looked like a woman getting three hours of sleep at a stretch because the baby she was caring for wouldn’t sleep past that yet.

  “I’m what?” He sounded just as annoyed as she felt. “In relatively good health if you don’t count the ulcer? Basically house trained?”

  She turned on him. “Ulcer?”

  “It’s an exaggeration.” He snatched up the overall-dressed stuffed bear and shook it at her. “I run an oil company for God’s sake. Some people actually consider me to be a decent catch.”

  “It wouldn’t matter if you shoveled horse stalls for a living,” she said impatiently. “You’re still—” she waved her hand expressively at him “—you.”

  He tossed the bear aside. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “Shh! You know very well what that means. I hardly need to bolster your tender ego.” She quickly unzipped the pack and slid Layla free, depositing her gently into the crib. The baby was wearing one of her new, footed sleepers that kept her perfectly warm without a blanket.

  When Layla didn’t stir, Maddie turned away from the crib, peeling herself out of the buckles and straps of the fancy baby carrier. She dropped it on top of the changing table and walked into her bedroom.

  She wasn’t surprised that Linc followed.

  She was surprised, however, when he pushed the door closed between the bedroom and the nursery.

  She swallowed, abruptly dry-mouthed. The bed behind her was rumpled from her sleeping in it. The clothes she’d worn that day were tossed in a heap on the side chair next to the door. Her lacy bra dangled off the top.

  And it was all visible, since she’d left her reading lamp turned on.

  She crossed her arms, painfully aware that without the baby carrier strapped all around her torso, the ancient white cami she wore was very thin. Very clinging. And her breasts felt so tight they ached.

  “It’s late,” she said in her best listen-to-me-or-else tone. The one she’d used back in her adult probation days. “We should both be in bed.”

  His hooded gaze slid toward the bed. He lifted an eyebrow. “Is that an invitation?”

  She flushed so hard her face hurt. “No!”

  “Pity.”

  “Do not toy with me, Linc. I’m in no mood.”

  “You’re the last person I’d toy with,” he assured her. “You’re pretty much holding what I want right in your pretty little hands.”

  She closed her eyes and raked her fingers through her hair, wanting to pull it right out. “How many times do I have to tell you that I am not the one who’ll decide anything where Layla is concerned?” She released her hair and it tumbled around her face, the ponytail holder failing completely. “All I can do is make sure she’s taken care of and still keep her accessible to you while I can!”

  “That’s why you put yourself out on the chopping block the way you did?”

  Why, oh why couldn’t she have just heated up Layla’s bottle and brought her back upstairs to feed her?

  Why did she have to go into the living room? Why did he have to be in there the way he had been?

  He didn’t like so many what ifs.

  She didn’t like so many whys.

  She pushed the hair out of her eyes, not looking at him. Just once, she’d like to feel like she was at her very best around him. That she was at the top of her game. “If I tell you yes, will you leave me alone?”

  “Is it the truth?”

  She sighed. “Yes, it’s the truth. In case you never noticed, I’m a terrible liar.”

  “I noticed.”

&n
bsp; Of course he had.

  She walked over to the door that led into the hallway and opened it. Even he wouldn’t be able to ignore the message. “Good night, Linc.”

  His jaw flexed. He moved to the doorway, towering over her the way he always did.

  When he lifted his hand and touched her chin, pushing it upward, she froze. Kept her lashes lowered.

  “What am I going to do with you?”

  Something inside her ached. “You could try to make me go away like you did before. But that would mean Layla goes with me.”

  “Not everything is about Layla.”

  At that, she did lift her lashes. She looked up at him. “Now who’s a bad liar?”

  His lips thinned.

  She lifted her chin away from his fingers. She pulled the door open even wider, clinging to the knob because she honestly wasn’t sure that her shaking knees would hold her up. “Right now, everything is about Layla. There is not one single thing you could do or say to make me believe otherwise.”

  His gaze roved over her face. Looking for what, she couldn’t say. But it left her feeling almost as raw as that damned artificial tree of Ali’s had.

  “Then I guess there’s nothing else to say but good-night,” he finally said.

  He stepped through the doorway, leaving the small circle of light cast from her reading lamp. She still kept watch until he wasn’t even a shadowy shape in the dark hall.

  Only then did she finally close the bedroom door and lean back weakly against it.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Svelte Sage.” Looking triumphant, Ali waved the paint chip in front of Maddie. “Greer and I both love it. She gave her vote of approval before she went into work, not even thirty minutes ago.”

  Maddie blearily eyed the color sample. It was vaguely green. Vaguely gray. Vaguely brown. It was also the one she’d chosen a week ago. “Looks fine.”

  “It’s better than fine. When the cabinets are done in off-white, it’ll look spectacular.” Ali peered into Maddie’s face. “I thought you’d be more enthusiastic.”

  Ali had greeted her with the sample practically the second she’d walked into the house.

  Maddie sank down on the couch, one arm around Layla, who was once more strapped in the fabric carrier. “I’m thrilled,” she assured her sister. “Maybe when we actually have the kitchen finished—” in the next millennium, hopefully “—I’ll be even more thrilled.” She hooked the toe of her boot around the coffee table and dragged it a little closer so that she could prop her feet on it. Once Linc had left her bedroom the night before, it had been hours before she’d finally fallen asleep. Only to be awakened a short while later by Layla, yet again.

  “You’re exhausted is what you are,” Ali said tartly. She nudged Maddie’s legs to one side and sat on the coffee table. “You look like death warmed over.”

  “Thank you so much.” Then she promptly yawned.

  “How much partying are you doing over there with our resident oilman?”

  She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the couch. Layla wasn’t asleep, but she was perfectly content sitting the way she was in front of Maddie. “I’ve, uh, actually hardly seen him.” She mentally crossed her fingers. “It doesn’t feel as cold here as I expected it to be.”

  “There was frost on the inside of the windows last night. Just in case you’re considering leaving the swell Swift digs.” Ali wiggled Maddie’s shin. “Sit up. Take off that contraption you’re wearing. I’ll watch Layla for an hour and you can take a nap. Or a shower. Either one would be an improvement.”

  Maddie peeled open her gritty eyes. “It’s so nice to be able to count on such sisterly support.”

  “I said I’d watch Layla,” Ali countered. “That’s pretty supportive if you ask me.”

  “Only if you change her diaper when she actually needs it.” Maddie sat up with an effort and undid the carrier, working the infant out of it. “You ought to try it,” she told Ali. “Makes carrying her a lot easier.”

  “Well, for now, I’ll pass on the straitjacket.” Ali lifted Layla onto her lap, kissing her cheek and neck so noisily that the baby chortled. “God, I love that sound.” She shoved Maddie’s shoulder. “Now, for the love of God, go.”

  “I had a shower yesterday,” Maddie groused as she headed toward the stairs.

  “Did you actually turn on the water?”

  She rolled her eyes, ignoring Ali. The truth was, though, that her shower had probably lasted all of three minutes. Because that was about how much time Layla had allowed her.

  She passed Greer’s open bedroom door and was momentarily tempted to use her bathtub. But if she actually laid down in a soaking tub filled with hot, bubbly water, she wasn’t sure she’d ever want to get out.

  So the shower it was.

  Maddie’s barebones bathroom was colder than a witch’s glare. But she turned on the space heater she dragged in there and let the shower steam fill the air. It got so cozy that when she stepped under the hot spray and let it sluice over her, she might actually have nodded off and napped right there, still standing up.

  How did mothers everywhere manage to care for infants day in and day out without help? Even though Maddie was a qualified foster-care provider, she’d never had a three-month-old. She’d had a three-week-old once. The baby had slept and ate and pooped. But mostly slept. She’d had a three-year-old, too, who slept solidly through the night, thirteen hours straight. There’d been others over the years, but never for more than a few days at a time.

  She and Layla were now on day eight.

  Only the fear of running out of hot water made her lethargic limbs finally move. She washed her hair. Twice. Shaved her legs. Twice. When she finally shut off the water and climbed out into the steam-shrouded bathroom, she felt cleaner than she had in a week. Most of her toiletries were at Linc’s, but she found an old comb and managed to work out the tangles in her hair before twisting it into a braid.

  Then, still wrapped in the bath towel, she went into the bedroom and crawled under the covers.

  An hour. One entire blissful hour, she told herself. With no thoughts of Linc allowed.

  She closed her eyes. In seconds she was asleep.

  And dreaming about Linc.

  * * *

  “Well, there’s Sleeping Beauty finally.”

  Maddie smiled ruefully and padded into the kitchen wearing her one pair of flannel-lined jeans and a thick red sweater. “You let me sleep too long,” she told Ali. “But I see you discovered the miracle that is the baby carrier.”

  Ali grinned. She was standing at the sink washing dishes, wearing Layla in front of her. The baby was obviously happy to be up close and personal with the occasional soapsud that found its way to her. “This thing is great,” she agreed. “Once I figured out how all the straps and buckles worked. I could carry this little girl all day long, I think.”

  “She’d let you.” Maddie found a mug and filled it with the cold coffee that was still in the coffeemaker. She stuck it in the microwave to heat it up. “She much prefers to be held than not. She has made that perfectly clear to me.” She leaned over and kissed the baby on her head. “Haven’t you, sweet pea?”

  Layla gave her a smile that made Maddie feel good all the way to her toes.

  Ali wasn’t smiling, though. She was watching her with narrowed eyes. “She’s not going to be so easy to give up, is she?”

  “She’s not mine to give up. Remember?” The microwave dinged and she took out the mug. The liquid was lukewarm, but she routinely drank worse at the office, so it would do just fine.

  “Do you remember?” Ali’s gaze was steady. “Really?”

  Maddie swallowed.

  “Oh, Maddie,” Ali sighed. “This is what you do. You get too involved.”

  “
This is different.”

  Her sister lifted an eyebrow. But she withheld comment and rinsed another dish and placed it in the plastic drainer. Then she pulled the plug and watched the sink drain from below where the pipes were visible thanks to the unfinished, doorless cabinetry.

  “What are you doing?”

  “It’s been leaking this week.” Ali snatched a soup pot, quickly stuck it under the pipes, and then covered Layla’s ears. “Another damn thing to fix.” She shot Maddie a look. “Do not tell Dad.”

  “If you could keep your ghosts from moving the tools, I can probably change out the pipes. Ray and I did it once for a family we were helping.”

  “Didn’t know that plumbing was part of the job description in family services.”

  Maddie carried her coffee over to the table and sat. “When it comes to family services, a varied skill-set is the name of the game. And sometimes you have to get involved.”

  You can marry me.

  She pinched the bridge of her nose, willing away Linc’s voice. She was not considering it. “Not that involved,” she muttered.

  “What?” Ali was looking at her.

  “Nothing.” Maybe sleeping three hours had been too long. Maybe it had turned her brain to mush. “Did you feed Layla?”

  “Yup. She sucked down all eight ounces of one of those bottles you had in the diaper bag. Fancy bag, too. Quite the step up from that purse you were using.”

  “Linc got it. What about her diaper? You have checked it, haven’t you?”

  “No, I took her to the neighbor to do it.” Ali rolled her eyes. “Yes. She peed twice. Fortunately, just pee, else your nap would have been shortened to deal with it. Relax, would you?”

  “Sorry.” Maddie propped her chin on her hand. Her sister was dressed similarly to her, though she’d pinned her hair on top of her head. most likely to keep it away from Layla’s grasping hands. “How’ve things been at work this week?”

  “Pretty much the same. Sarge remains pissed off at me. So he’s still assigning me every crap detail he can.” Her sister shrugged. “It’ll blow over eventually. Fortunately, he hasn’t blocked me out from everything concerning Layla. I know there haven’t been any recent reports of a missing baby at least.”