Page 13 of Secret Baby
His sexy brown eyes didn't blink. "You don't understand."
"Understand what?"
He stared at her, and the intensity made her stomach churn. Then he took a deep breath. "You're not to tell Clara you're her mother. Not yet. Not until I'm sure she's safe from you."
Her mouth fell open again. "That's not fair."
He stayed absolutely still. "It's the best deal I can offer. I want to trust you, but I need to be sure you won't hurt her."
Her ears thrashed with her heartbeat. "When do we tell her about me?"
He swallowed. "When I say so."
She chewed her bottom lip. Colt was giving her a chance to know Clara, without a legal nightmare. Vicki nodded. "Okay."
He unfolded his hands on the table. "Can you come to the house tomorrow and stay for the day?"
"Yes." Her smile could not be stopped, and so what if her laugh had tears of joy in it? "I can come tomorrow." She threw caution to the wind, stood, walked around the table, and hugged his shoulders. He still smelled of oak with a hint of orange, but all manly testosterone. A moment later, he wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her. Heat rushed through her. Her shoulders were less tense, until he let her go. Then she adjusted her shirt and straightened her spine. "I'm sorry."
Her cheeks heated, and she feared her face went red. She stilled.
He pressed his hands in his pockets. "That's how we created Clara, with you hugging me. None of those tricks will work now."
"It was more than a hug, Colt." Her eyes narrowed, and she let her shoulders relax now.
His body tensed. "Talking about this is a bad move."
"You're right. I'm happy you're giving me a chance."
He reached for his wallet and found a business card. Without a word, he handed it to her. She read it. "I remember where you live."
His shoulders tightened and he tugged at his ear. "Come in the morning. Clara will be up, anxious to meet her new sitter."
Tomorrow was too far away. She took a deep breath. She'd learn patience, and in the meantime, she had her way into the house and to her daughter. Her heart soared. "Who is watching her now?"
"The same person who protected her for years—her grandmother. My parents are going condo hunting this weekend, and won't be back home for a while." He fixed his shirt and stood to leave. "Don't disappoint Clara. She's a good girl."
She'd prove to him and herself that family mattered to her. He held open the café door for her. This plan of his was a start. Colt Collins would be wowed with how amazing Vicki and Clara were together. He wouldn't know what hit him. No one was going to tear her away from her daughter again. She'd have her family back.
CHAPTER FOUR
Six thirty in the morning might be too early.
Victoria walked on the sidewalk as the sprinklers took care of the complex lawns. She jumped out of the way of the water, but nothing could stop her. Today she spoke to her daughter. Her throat barely contained a few giggles.
She hopped in her car with her backpack full of memories to show Colt. Sonograms, her diary with unsent letters, the pictures she had of him at boot camp, hospital records, the death certificate she'd received, and the baby video she'd made during her pregnancy had all come out of the closet last night. When she hit the main road down south toward Homestead, she left the ocean and Collins Avenue and headed toward the turnpike. Homestead was a drive, but this early there would be no traffic.
Possibly. In Miami, anything might be on the road.
As the scenery changed to more farm areas, she sang along with the radio.
In her bag, she reached in and squeezed the stuffed teddy bear she'd bought. With luck, Clara wasn't too big.
Her head bopped to the music as she passed the sign for the exits she hadn't seen since high school. Life was simple then. She hopped off the expressway. If she stopped at a coffee shop and bought him a Café Cubano, Colt might appreciate her gesture.
And she'd slow down to give them time to wake up.
At six fifty, she turned off the engine in his driveway and stared at the coffee and her digital clock. She never drove fast. How did she get here this quickly? Colt had let her come without a fight, but the lights weren't on inside the house.
