Page 24 of Secret Baby
"Sure." She walked over to her counter where she'd left her pocketbook, and reached in for her cell. As she handed it over, she saw the battery was red, so she was under twenty percent.
He nodded. "Okay, once mine is charged, we'll switch out to yours, unless you need to make any emergency calls."
"I'm fine." She left her phone on the counter.
He didn't move. "I came in to email my family fast to check on Alice, John, and my parents again. When I'm done, if you need to do the same, please feel free. I hope Peter is fine, but I need to ask you a favor."
Her brother would be some place five-star, probably in a hotel with Jennifer. Her shoulders twitched as she took in Colt's words. A favor? She swallowed. "What do you need?"
His cheeks reddened, and he ran his hand through his hair. "It be nice if you stick around to help with Clara through the cleanup process. Otherwise, I'll have to take her through the entire grove. It's going to be more than a day."
Colt and Clara mattered far more than anything else in her life. He trusted her with their daughter. "Are you asking me to move in for a few days?"
His voice softened. "Yes. If you can get away. My mother usually helps, but my dad has been ill. Clara thinks you're her nanny now, and you would be a great help."
"Okay." She smiled and took his hands in hers. He held her palms in his, but then dropped his hands to the side. The part of her skin that touched his heated. She lowered her gaze. "I'm happy to have the time to get to know her. I'd like to stay and get to know her without being a stranger. But I do have to go to the store in a few days to arrange the schedule for next week. I can take Clara with me for a few hours, and then we'll head right back home."
"Sounds fine. We'll work out the details, but thank you." He turned his face into a shadow as he glanced at the door. "Now is a good time, before my wedding in October."
Vicki's shoulders caved. Her lips ached for his kiss, but she'd never be a home wrecker. She firmly believed that whatever she put into the universe came back in a circle. If she tried to steal Colt, something worse would happen to her. She sighed. No. She'd lost too much already.
Colt ran his hand through his hair, and she picked up his habit as she closed her eyes. "That's so close. Where is your fiancée?"
He seemed to count the marble tiles on the floor as his face stayed red. "Washington, D.C. She took a job for the military as a lobbyist."
"She sounds strong and independent, which was always the type of girl you wanted. I'm happy for you."
His eyes widened as he glanced at her again. Without a word, she picked up the bowl in the sink and ran it under the water to wash. Colt rubbed her shoulders and then he took off for the door. "Thanks again for staying."
"No, Colt," she called out, and gazed at him over her shoulder. He stared at her from the door. She dropped her hands to her sides. "Staying here is one major step to letting me in to know my daughter. I am looking forward to telling her who I ambeforeyour wedding."
At the door he threw his cowboy hat on and nodded at her. Her heart beat a little faster. If he wasn't engaged, she'd be flirting. Perhaps it was better this way.
Colt Collins would never be hers.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Vicki found the steaks in the freezer had thawed enough and needed to be cooked soon. Dusk settled in the sky, and she added charcoal to the grill in the backyard. At least she had remembered how to set something from camp. Her years on her own, without her last name or family money, taught her how to survive in cities with jobs, not camping.
Vicki turned to watch her daughter one more time. Clara had her radio, and she played in the shade on the patio. Today was perfect. Vicki turned around and lit a match, but nothing flamed. She bit her lip, added more charcoal, and lit more matches, but nothing flamed. She crossed her arms. What was she doing wrong?
She picked up a piece of charcoal and held the match to it. The black charcoal never took the flames.
Clearly she'd missed a step. She dropped the charcoal into the pit and wiped the sweat off her brow. She studied the grill like there was a huge secret. How did her brother, Peter, the born-to-be CEO who was trained from birth to run their family and the many business holding, make grilling food look easy? Her brother wasn't motivated to do anything family related, ever, and even he managed to do stuff like this.
"Step back. I'll get the grill ready." Colt's voice crackled from behind, which sent a thrill down her spine.
"Steak night." She didn't dare turn to look at him. Her body ached for him. A few seconds later, she turned and walked toward the patio as Clara and Colt grew closer to her and the grill. She stiffened her spine and refused to react to the smell of oak trees and oranges. "I'll get the food for when you're ready and bring it to you."
"And the beer," Colt called out as he went toward the barbecue.
She heard the spark of the fire catch in the grill and turned. With her jaw clenched, she asked, "How did you do that?"
With a wink, he smiled, and her heart melted. He had looked at her that way years ago, and she used to melt then. She sighed, and he answered, "I have my ways."
She placed her hand on her hip. "And I have mine, country boy. I'll get Clara to turn up her radio, and you'll dance with me before the night ends."
"Lighter fluid." He dropped his gaze as his cheeks grew red. "You had everything but lighter fluid."
