Emergency: Parents Needed

She sounded breathless, as if she wasn’t quite sure of what to make of his impulsive yet enthusiastic gesture.

He wasn’t certain either, but the sensation of her palm against his and the strength in her fingers that belied the fine bone structure coalesced into a desire to pull her into his arms and hold her tightly against him.

However, patience and restraint were lessons he’d learned and things he practiced since he’d been a child. To ignore those lessons was asking for trouble, but he was also a strong believer in taking an opportunity as it presented itself.

Reluctantly, he released her hand. “Shall we go?”

Ten minutes later, he and Breanna walked into Maggie’s house and he was instantly struck by how perfectly suited Maggie was for the task facing him. Her home was cozy and welcoming, with its framed pencil sketches and watercolors on the walls, the large throw pillows and fuzzy afghans hanging from an oak quilt rack. The house was neat and tidy, but it was obvious that everything inside had been selected for comfort rather than style. It was a house in which a person could kick back and relax, a house with a peaceful, contented atmosphere.

In less time than he expected, Maggie returned from her bedroom to rejoin him in the living room. She looked different, almost unrecognizable, and his inner peace shifted to purely masculine interest.

Her uniform had always told him that she was just “one of the guys”. However, as she stood before him in street clothes, he saw her in an entirely new light.

Her faded and soft-from-numerous-washings denim jeans hugged her slim hips and long legs. The lime green V-neck T-shirt clung to her torso and revealed a modest amount of cleavage. A pair of sandals showed off red-painted nails and a silver ring on her second toe.

To think all this had been hiding under the regulation light blue shirt and utilitarian navy blue pants! Oh, the unisex cut of the clothing hadn’t completely disguised what lay underneath; her feminine shape had filled the fabric in ways that the rest of the crew couldn’t, but he’d had no idea just how mouth-watering her form really was.

Or maybe it was simply a case of knowing she was beyond his reach, so he’d never let himself imagine…but now, uniform or not, he’d never look at her the same way again.

Chapter Three

THEY passed the drive to Dee’s house in silence. Maggie knew Joe wasn’t the talkative sort, so she didn’t find his lack of conversation unusual. He maintained his usual calm, stoic expression as if he didn’t consider this more important than any other errand, but as she studied him unobtrusively—he couldn’t be that unmoved by their tasks or the reason behind them, could he?—she soon found several chinks in his armor.

His mouth had a pinched quality and his eyes, when he accidentally met her gaze, appeared positively haunted. His shoulders seemed permanently squared, as if he needed a military posture to maintain his composure. Strangely enough, knowing that he wasn’t as unaffected as he appeared only made her more sympathetic toward him.

Fortunately, Dee’s neighbor and Breanna’s old babysitter, Hannah Lightner, was at home, so she looked after the toddler while Maggie and Joe let themselves into Dee’s apartment.

The place was eerily quiet, as if it were mourning its missing occupant. Stop being fanciful, she scolded herself. It’s only four walls.

But, walls or not, the spirit of Dee seemed to hover overhead, especially when Maggie entered the bedroom and saw a pile of green silk—a nightgown—lying on the bed. Joe must have sensed it too because for the first time since they’d arrived, he looked uneasy. Then again, perhaps coming here only emphasized the new set of responsibilities that had landed on his shoulders without warning or preparation.

Feeling as if she was intruding on his private moment, Maggie headed to the baby’s bedroom. Joe followed on her heels, as if he didn’t want to be left alone with his memories.

“What should we load first?” she asked, determined to be as upbeat as possible in the face of his somber mood.

“The crib, I’d guess. I’ll get my toolbox from the truck while you pack Breanna’s clothes.”

Within an hour, everything from the crib to the changing table to a stroller and clothing were stacked in the back of Joe’s truck. “We’ll pack up Dee’s things later,” he said as they secured the furniture for travel. “We have a few weeks before the rent is due, so that’ll give us time to figure out what to do with her stuff.”

“That didn’t take long,” Hannah declared as they reappeared on her doorstep.

“We only took the baby’s things,” Joe told her. “We’ll take care of the rest another day. How’s she been?”

“Oh, fine,” Hannah said. “She’s always been such a good baby. I’ve never had any trouble with her at all.”

Joe nodded, but his mouth was pressed into a hard line. Obviously Hannah’s well-meant remarks only emphasized Joe’s feelings of inadequacy. Maggie would have to find ways to build his confidence and increase his comfort level with the little girl, although doing so in the space of a few hours seemed a monumental task.

“I’m just glad I was home today and could help,” Hannah continued, blithely unaware of Joe’s set jaw. “I’m going to miss her. I’ll miss them both.”

Sensing Joe’s tension, Maggie stepped in. “As will a lot of people,” she said. “But we thank you for your time and now we’ll get out of your way so you can enjoy the rest of your day off.”

“Of course.” Hannah led them inside.

Maggie was prepared to see Breanna sitting on the floor, playing with a stack of plastic building blocks, but she hadn’t prepared herself for what came next.

“Mama?” the little girl asked Maggie.

Oh, dear. The one word, uttered with just the right amount of hope and uncertainty, nearly undid her. She wanted nothing more than to escape, to leave this temporary child-rearing task to someone else, but she wasn’t a quitter, or so she told herself before turning a smile on the little girl.

“Hi, sweetheart,” she said. “Daddy’s here.”

Breanna went to Hannah, the one familiar constant in her life. “Mama?” she asked.

Hannah’s eyes became suspiciously moist. “No, sweetie. Mama’s not here. But your daddy is.”

Maggie glanced at Joe. The man who’d always seemed as steady as a rock and completely fearless now appeared as if he were living his worst nightmare.

In his mind, he probably was.

“It’s time to go, Breanna,” he said, his voice unnaturally gruff.

Breanna studied him with eyes far too serious for a child her age. “Mama?”

Hannah shrugged apologetically. “She must be waiting for Dee to take her home.”

The notion sent a flash of pain through Maggie’s chest. Right now, Breanna wouldn’t understand why she suddenly had a hole in her young life—she would only know that she did. It would fall on Joe to make sure this child never felt abandoned because of her loss.

Joe turned to Maggie. His eyes reflected indecision. “Now what? I’d rather not drag her out of here, kicking and screaming.”

“Let’s see what she does in a few minutes,” Maggie suggested. She turned to Hannah. “Do you mind?”

“Not at all. If you like, I’ll tell you what I know about her schedule.”

So, for the next half-hour, Maggie listened and took mental notes, hoping Joe was absorbing a fraction of the information he was hearing. From the vacant expression on his face, she suspected he was still overwhelmed by the situation. She would need to fill the gap until he found his footing.

Before long, Breanna crawled onto the sofa and sat between them as she eyed Joe cautiously.

“She hasn’t been around many men,” Hannah remarked. “You’re a novelty.”

Maggie found that innocently volunteered tidbit interesting. In her opinion, it added evidence to the case that Joe—not another man—was Breanna’s father. “Then Deanna wasn’t seeing anyone?”

Hannah shook her head. “If she was, she kept him a secret, which wouldn’t have been easy with us living next to each other. Although there was a fellow…” She looked thoughtful.

“And?” Joe raised an eyebrow.

“I saw him with her once or twice a long time ago, but she never introduced us. Then he quit coming and Dee never mentioned his name. Ever.”

Maggie exchanged glances with Joe. “Would you recognize him if you saw him again?”