Mother In A Moment: Mother In A Moment / Millionaire's Instant Baby

She’d done what she could when she’d run out onto the street that afternoon. She’d given CPR. She’d applied tourniquets that had done no good. She’d avoided one reporter, sicced a police officer on another and tried not to completely lose her wits when she’d recognized poor Phil as the driver of the other car. She’d known he must have died instantly.

She’d cradled Elise’s head in her arms as the injured woman had urgently whispered about her children. She’d told the police, then Social Services, about Elise’s last words.

There wasn’t anything more that Darby could do.

Nothing that she could undo.

So the best thing for her to do was go. This man, Elise’s brother, would rise to the task of caring for his new charges. She could see it in his face. And just because she was still shaking and distressed over the day’s events didn’t give her any excuse to sugar-coat her own involvement.

She turned the ignition again, holding her breath until the engine caught. She looked up at Garrett as she put the car into Reverse.

And felt herself waver yet again.

The children would be confused and desperately missing their mommy and daddy. Their lives had been torn to pieces through no fault of their own.

Her hands tightened around the steering wheel and she moistened her lips. If she was careful, if she remembered her…her place, maybe she could—

A movement behind them had her automatically glancing in the rearview mirror. The sight of a white van pulling up at the curb was like a dousing with icy water. The side of the van was painted with the colorful logo of the local television station.

“I can’t help you, Garrett. I’m sorry.”

She didn’t look at him as she pulled out of the driveway and drove away. In her mirror, she saw someone step from the van and approach Garrett.

Naturally. The mayor’s long-absent son had returned to town just in time to become the unexpected guardian of his nieces and nephews. In a small place like Fisher Falls, that was big news.

If she didn’t stay away from the scene, the news would grow even bigger. And Darby couldn’t face that.

Not even for those sweet kids.

Not even for a man like Garrett Cullum.

Chapter Three

“I’m going to go over and see Darby White. She won’t refuse in person.” Garrett looked across the metal desk to his assistant as he hung up the phone. He’d just been refused child care from the last center in Fisher Falls. And this one had been run by a church. “No room” seemed to be the stock answer in this town. But Garrett knew better. “We can’t help out the black-sheep son of our beloved mayor” was what they really meant.

Carmel Delgado rolled her eyes and huffed. “She’s already refused you.”

Didn’t he know it. His temporary office was housed in a trailer on the building site of what would soon be G&G Construction’s seventh office, and rather than being filled with desks and filing cabinets for his staff, one end was filled with a playpen, rocking horse and an enormous cardboard box of toys. A box that, he noted absently, the triplets were more interested in chewing on than anything. For now, thankfully, the kids seemed quiet and content enough with their lunch.

“I suppose this means I get to watch ’em for you while you’re gone.”

“Consider it practice for when you and Enrico finally get hitched and have babies.” He yanked open one drawer. Then another, looking for his keys.

Carmel snorted delicately. “Nobody’s gonna rope me into marriage. Not even hunky Enrico.” She held out one finger. The set of keys hung from her long orange-painted nail. “And back to the point—babysitting isn’t in my job description.”

He grabbed the keys. “You’re my assistant. So assist.”

“I want a raise,” she called after him as he left the office, and the fearsome five, behind.

Garrett ignored her as he headed for the new Suburban he’d luckily found at one of the car lots in town. It held the fearsome five and it wasn’t a van, so he was satisfied.

The truth was, no matter how much Carmel complained, he’d have been sunk without her the past few days. If anyone deserved a raise, it was his flamboyant assistant. But he needed her doing what she was paid to do, not playing nanny to the fearsome five, nor fending off the good town mayor.

Bringing the kids to the office was not a workable solution. They were a distraction to all of his staff, not just Carmel. They had bids to get out, a subcontractor to fire and fifty other things that had slid because he’d been too busy shoveling mashed peas into ravenous little mouths, and changing diapers.

Well, Carmel had changed most of the diapers, he acknowledged as he wheeled the Suburban over the ruts in the dirt road leading to and from the building site. Definitely not in her job description.

He had to find an alternative, and Darby White was it. He’d exhausted every other avenue.

Everyone had their price. He would just have to find out what hers was.

Ten minutes later he was walking through the front door of Smiling Faces Child-Care Center. The noise hit him first. A baby crying. A lot of childish, squealing laughter. Someone singing.

Holy God. Give him the chorus of hammer and nails over this racket.

“Can I help you?” A young woman standing behind the long counter separating the entry from the rest of the center widened her eyes and smiled hopefully. She was tall, and had thick blond hair streaming down around her shoulders.

He felt not one speck of interest. He had more important things to take care of. “I’m here to see Darby White.”

Her smile dimmed a fraction. She looked over her shoulder, scanning the room. But Garrett had already spotted Darby’s distinctive hair, and he rounded the waist-high gate.

“Wait. You can’t just go back— Okaaay, I guess you can.”

Garrett stepped through the chaos and stopped behind Darby. She was standing in a circle, holding hands with a half dozen kids who looked no older than Reid. They were singing as their circle revolved.

When she was opposite him, her feet stopped. Surprise widened her eyes. Stiffened her shoulders. The children giggled and let go, forming their own wobbly circle without her.

“Garrett. Did you bring the children in today, after all?”

“No. I spoke with your administrator. Molly? Yesterday. The waiting list for full-time care is six months long.” In six months, he and the kids would be back in New Mexico where child-care would be more easily solved since Caldwell’s damned influence didn’t stretch quite that far. Since Garrett had his own share of influence there. “The best I can get is the two hours a day three times a week that Elise had already set up. But you knew that.”

She didn’t deny it. “How are they?”

“Reid won’t sleep at night, and Regan hates me.” Yet they’d both screamed bloody murder when he’d tried to get them ready to bring them to Smiling Faces for their regular time. They didn’t seem to want to let him out of their sight. Call him a coward, but he’d backed down and instead carted them all to the trailer-office.

Darby pressed her lips together. “Of course Regan doesn’t hate you.”

“My assistant is about ready to quit unless I arrange something more suitable than bringing the fearsome five to work with me.”

Her chin tilted. “There’s nothing fearsome about your nieces and nephews. You’ve told them…I assume.”

“Regan is the only one old enough to have some concept of what it means.” He hadn’t realized Darby’s eyes were quite so blue. “That’s what the psychologist said. I think that all the kids really understand is that their mom and dad left and didn’t come back.”

“It’s a lot of changes for them.”

“Which you could make easier if you’d help me.”

Darby looked around. She wasn’t surprised in the least that they were the focus of numerous interested stares. Anyone who looked as good as this man did, guaranteed plenty of interest.