NIGHT WIND'S WOMAN Page 9

  If he offered to stay with Kelly would she let him? Would she welcome his company? He could cook for her while she recovered, tidy the cabin, help take care of the baby. He knew childbirth took its toll on a woman's body. She deserved to rest. And deep down, he wanted to be there for as long as possible. Shane wanted to lie in bed night after night and listen to Kelly nurse her infant daughter.

  * * *

  Chapter 7

  «^»

  At 5:00 p.m. Kelly stood in the kitchen, preparing a cup of tea. The storm had passed, Brianna was seven days old, and Shane had stayed at the cabin. It seemed natural to have him there, eat the meals he cooked, say goodbye each morning when he left for the rescue, relax in the evening together, tend to Brianna.

  She stirred a small amount of sugar into her cup. Even sleeping in the same bed with him felt natural. She was, after all, recovering from childbirth, so what harm could come of it? Her nipples ached from nursing Brianna, not from thinking about Shane.

  Didn't they?

  Kelly pushed away her last thought and the tingle that came with it. Shane was her friend, and their compatible routine was about to end, only he didn't know it yet.

  She glanced at the kitchen clock. 5:05. He would be back

  He entered the cabin a long time later, longer than she had anticipated.

  Edgy from the wait, she snapped at him the moment he crossed the threshold. "Where have you been?"

  He closed the door behind him, but rather than respond in the same harsh tone, his voice was patient, a little wounded. "I had some things to do. What's wrong? Has Sunshine been fussy today?"

  Wonderful. Now she felt like an ogre. Since Shane was convinced that Brianna's arrival had chased away the rain, he had nicknamed the baby Sunshine. "No. She's been just fine." Her daughter had napped most of the day, a perfect little angel, still asleep in her makeshift cradle. "My mom called."

  "Oh." He sat on the sofa. "Did you have an argument?"

  "Sort of." Rolling her shoulders, Kelly joined him on the couch. "Mom wasn't too happy when I told her I planned on spending the rest of my maternity leave in Texas. She doesn't understand why I decided to stay here for the next two months."

  But Kelly had her reasons. Good reasons. Jason hadn't returned to Ohio yet, so why should she? Besides, being in Texas made her feel closer to Grandpa.

  And to Shane, she added hastily, her pulse tripping a little. Shane Night Wind lived in Texas, and at the moment, he lived with her. "Since I won't be going home anytime soon, my mom is coming here instead. She wants to see Brianna."

  "That's understandable." He cast his eyes to the floor, studying it as though it held great importance. "I guess she'll be staying with you, huh?"

  Kelly nodded. "She'll be here on Tuesday."

  "That's only three days away," he remarked, still studying the braided area rug in front of him.

  Kelly glanced at her roommate, and he pushed his hands through his hair. In profile, the thick dark mass concealed one eye. It made him look more like Puma – rangy and dangerous. Stunning.

  Were they playing house? she wondered. Pretending they had a right to live together, even temporarily?

  "Maybe this is better for you," she said.

  He lifted his head. "What do you mean?"

  She met his gaze and delved into the subject that had plagued her since the storm. "Brianna must remind you of Evan."

  He didn't respond right away. Instead he took a deep, audible breath. Kelly heard it catch before he released it.

  "Of course she does," he said finally. "But that doesn't mean I can't separate the two. You're my friend, Kelly. I like being here with you and Brianna."

  "And we like having you here." Okay, so they weren't playing house. They were friends, a man and a woman who just happened to sleep comfortably in the same bed, her baby daughter snug between them.

  Right. As Kelly smoothed her dress, she became even more aware of her tender nipples. What about those awkward moments? The sensual heat that thickened the air?

  Like now, she thought. They sat quietly, their breaths shallow, their gazes locked. Shane's hair had fallen forward again, and her bra chafed the fullness of her breasts.

  Suddenly she wanted to kiss him – lean forward and press her mouth against his. But she had no business lusting after Shane. She had just given birth to Jason's child. Besides, kissing would only complicate their friendship, especially while they slept under the same roof.

  "So where did you go earlier?" she asked, forcing herself to sound normal.

  "Shopping." He smiled, his lips tilting like a half-moon. "Wanna see what I bought?"

  "Sure." Did he know how devastating that crescent smile was? How boyishly bright and heart-stopping?

  He headed out the door, then returned carrying a big, flat box and several plastic bags. After dumping the bags on the barrel chair, he pointed to the box. "It's one of those portable cribs. You know, the playpen type. Brianna certainly can't sleep in that basket for the next two months. She'll be rolling over before you know it."

  The joy in his eyes warmed the mother in her. She stood to examine his gift. "Thank you, Shane. It's perfect." The picture on the box depicted its contents, but his excitement made the gesture even more special. His generosity knew no bounds. He had already supplied a car seat – an item they had used when he'd driven her and Brianna to the doctor three days before.

  "I bought more of those little drawstring nightgowns, too," he said, reaching into one of the bags to retrieve the pink and yellow clothes. "Oh, and check this out." He lifted another cloth item. "It's an ona carrier."

  Kelly smiled. She liked the way he spiced his sentences with the Comanche dialect. Ona in his unusual drawl was a word she had come to know well.

  He adjusted the straps, then slipped them over the front of his shoulders. The corduroy pouch rested against his chest. "I think Brianna's going to like this. Little ones love to be hauled around."

  The baby carrier didn't detract from his masculinity. If anything, it added an air of paternal appeal. But then Shane Night Wind knew all about fatherhood. For six months, a child named Evan had been his son.

  "I bought two of these," he said. "One for each of us. That way we won't have to keep readjusting the straps." He met her gaze and lifted another pouch. "This is yours. I thought a tan color would look pretty with your hair."

  And his was deep blue, she realized, a shade that complemented the faded denims he always wore. "Thank you."

  The forbidden urge to kiss him returned. Kelly swallowed. They had kissed once, over a week ago, yet she could still taste him. He had an unmistakable flavor – exotic, like the blend of his heritage.

  Brianna's piercing wail broke the silence. Kelly turned, Shane on her heels. They entered the bedroom at the same time. She lifted her daughter and held her close. Sweet, perfect Brianna. Texas sunshine.

  "Is she wet?" he asked.

  Kelly nodded, and Shane reached for a disposable diaper. Kelly almost missed the cloth diapers he'd made. Disposable were more practical, of course, and more absorbent, yet wrapping her daughter in homemade diapers seemed fitting somehow.

  Brianna fussed while Kelly changed her, the baby's tiny faced puckered with discontent.

  "She must be hungry," Shane commented, lifting the child from the bed.

  They had fallen into such an easy routine, Kelly thought, tending to Brianna together.

  No, not quite together, she amended quickly. Brianna's feedings didn't involve Shane, at least not consciously.

  As he placed the baby in her arms, their eyes met.

  A lingering stare. Gentle. Intense. Almost sexual.

  If she unbuttoned the front of her dress, would he stay? Would he watch the baby nurse?

  Kelly's breath hitched. Did he listen at night when she lifted Brianna to her breast? He never stirred during those moments, never said a word. The room, of course, was dark, but the child suckled noisily, greedy for her meal.

  "I better go," he
said when Brianna fussed even louder.

  Kelly only nodded. She couldn't possibly ask him to stay, no matter how much she wanted him to.

  * * *

  Kelly sat in Shane's living room, studying her mother. Why did her mom seem different now that they were away from home? Was it Brianna? Much to Kelly's surprise her mom doted on the baby the way a proud new grandmother should. Not that Linda Baxter wasn't a good person. It was just that she seemed so calm and pretty, not stiff and angry the way she had been before Kelly left for Texas.

  Tom leaned forward to coo at Brianna, who lay in a blanket bundle on Linda's lap. Tom and Shane had invited Kelly and her mom for dinner, and now the foursome relaxed in the living room, socializing companionably.

  Well, sort of companionably. Kelly hadn't said much and neither had Shane. Their parents had done most of the talking. And smiling.

  Kelly cocked her head. Just how many times had Tom and Linda smiled at each other? Good heavens, were they flirting? Her mom and Shane's dad?

  Maybe it was her imagination. Her mother wasn't the flirtatious type, nor Tom the man-about-town sort of guy.

  But they did look good together. Linda with her petite frame and blond bobbed hair, Tom with his Irish complexion and muscular physique. They were both attractive, yet conservative in their own way.

  Tom reached for Brianna, and as Linda handed the baby to him, their eyes met. Kelly glanced down at the floor. How many times had that very same look passed between herself and Shane? This was embarrassing, she thought. Mortifying.

  The room hummed, time ceasing in the way it did when two people made the air turn thick. Good grief. Tom and her mother were stealing oxygen – sucking it right up.

  While Shane shifted beside her, Kelly studied her shoes. Not that her simple tan flats deserved special attention, she just didn't know where to focus her gaze.

  "How about some coffee or tea or something?" Shane said, rising from the rattan sofa, clearly anxious to duck out of the room.

  "Coffee for me," Tom responded. "How about you, Linda?"

  "Tea sounds nice."

  Before someone could ask Kelly for her preference, she bopped up. "I'll give Shane a hand."

  She followed him into the kitchen, and he opened the cabinet and removed a large can. While he measured coffee grounds, she set about to make tea. They approached the sink at the same time, but he stopped and motioned her forward. Silent, Kelly filled a small pot and set it on the stove.

  Great, she thought. Here they were, friends who had slept in the same bed, yet they couldn't think of a thing to say. She sifted through tea bags, trying to look busy while he placed the coffeepot under the faucet. When he turned abruptly, he bumped her arm. Both jumped from the unexpected contact.

  "Sorry," he mumbled, his voice raspy.

  "That's okay." More than okay, she decided, as her heartbeat tripped and fell. She missed those accidental touches. The cabin wasn't the same without Shane. It didn't look the same, feel the same. It didn't even smell the same, even though she knew Shane avoided cologne because of its effect on the cats. His scent boasted of nature – soap and water, air, rain, sunshine. Texas elements.

  He leaned against the counter, looking rugged and handsome, his clothes sturdy ranch wear. His hair, combed away from his face, hung down his back in a thick, dark ponytail. She had the wicked urge to release it, let it flow into her hands. Would it feel like a waterfall? Cool and luxurious slipping through her fingers?

  Kelly glanced at the coffeemaker. The liquid dripped slowly. Shane, too, focused on the coffeepot, his gaze intense. Were they overly aware of their parents' attraction because their own proved difficult?

  "So how are you getting along with your mom?" he asked suddenly.

  Kelly breathed a sigh of relief. Words, any words, made the moment more bearable. "Pretty good, actually. Of course it's only been three days."

  "She's not hassling you about suing Jason?"

  "No, but I'm sure she will eventually. Right now she seems preoccupied with being a grandmother."

  He smiled. "That's a good thing."

  "Yes, it is."

  Shane missed Brianna. Kelly could see it in the uneasy tilt of his lips – the soft, sad smile edged with paternal need. Her child had found a place in his heart. He wanted to move back into the cabin and share his nights with the baby he called Sunshine. The baby who reminded him of Evan.

  He turned and shrugged. Was he shaking off his emotions? she wondered. The ones attached to his sleeve?

  "The water's boiling," he said.

  "Oh." She turned off the burner, her movements jittery.

  They prepared a tray, adding store-bought cookies, a small pitcher of cream, cinnamon sticks and a bowl of sugar cubes. It looked festive, warmly domestic in a way that made Kelly ache.

  He lifted the tray. "Ready?"

  She nodded. They hadn't mentioned their parents, yet both took a slow, steadying breath, working up the courage to reenter the living room and face the sensual vibrations there. Guilt, Kelly decided. Guilt over their own forbidden desire – a new mother and a man who had lost a child, using lust to combat loneliness.

  Shane placed the tray on the glass-topped coffee table, and Kelly noticed Brianna lay in her portable crib, sleeping soundly.

  Tom handed Linda a cup of tea. She thanked him and directed a question to Shane. As they engaged in small talk about the rescue, Kelly stole a glance at her mom.

  Linda sported a beige blouse and brown trousers. She favored natural colors, subtle hues that suited her simplicity. She wore no jewelry, not even the wedding band Kelly's dad had placed on her finger a lifetime ago. As long as Kelly could remember, her mom had been widowed. Although she never dated, she didn't talk about her late husband, either. She spent her days as a single mother – hard-working, slightly nagging – a woman who understood the hardship of raising a child alone.

  Kelly frowned into her tea. Would that be Brianna's description of her twenty-four years from now?

  Just as the conversation lulled, a loud knock sounded at the door.

  "I'll get it." Shane hopped out of his chair, leaving Kelly alone on the sofa, mulling over her last thought. Funny how she had never really analyzed her mother's life before, never sympathized with her plight or wondered if she was happy.

  When Shane returned, everyone looked his way. Beside him stood the most stunning woman Kelly had ever seen. Dressed in a colorful ensemble of dyed cottons and silk scarves, jet. black hair cloaked her shoulders. As she tilted her head, purple stones winked at her ears, enhancing the rest of her sparkling jewelry. Her eyes were as dark and exotic as a moonless night her lips boasting burgundy. She was neither young nor old – a slim, mystical muse suspended in time.

  The lady smiled at Shane, and at that dawning moment Kelly knew the enchanting gypsy was his mother.

  "Grace." Tom left his chair and came forward to hug her. "What a surprise."

  Fascinated, Kelly wanted to keep staring, but realized her curiosity might be interpreted as rude. It's not polite to stare. How many times had her mom drilled that expression into her head?

  Oh, goodness. Her mom. She turned to see Linda with a frozen smile on her face, sinking a little into her chair. Kelly's heart constricted. Clearly Linda felt bland and boring next to a woman as brazen and beautiful as Grace Night Wind.

  They would endure the introduction, then make a polite but hasty exit. For once in her life, Kelly wanted to protect her mom. If Shane's willowy ex had just walked through the door, she, too, would be eager to escape.

  * * *

  Morning dawned a bright spring day, light spilling through the window, birds chirping in the distance. Kelly relished the moment, the beauty she'd found in Texas. Friendship and peace. The birth of her daughter.

  "Who was on the phone?" Linda asked as she entered the bedroom, her hair damp from a shower. "I heard it ring before I turned on the water."

  Kelly finished diapering Brianna and cradled the child in her arms. Bri
anna smelled of talcum powder and lotion – a clean, sweet baby scent. She stroked her daughter's head and released a nervous breath, hoping her news wouldn't provoke an argument.

  "Marvin called, Mom."

  "Your lawyer? What did he say?"

  "Jason agreed to take a paternity test. We won't have to force him into it."

  Linda struck her fist in the air, a quick, triumphant motion. "Thank goodness. He's back in Ohio, then?"

  Kelly shook her head. "Not yet. But he plans on returning in two weeks."

  The older woman sat on the edge of the bed. "Good. That means you can go home with me. I'll call the airlines and book you on my flight." She tightened her robe when it slipped open. "We should probably get an extra ticket for Brianna. We can put her in the car seat between us. If we don't get an extra ticket, we'd have to hold her through the entire flight."

  Apparently her mother had already checked with the airlines about traveling with an infant. It irked Kelly that decisions were being made for her. "I don't want to go home that soon." She wasn't ready to leave Texas or the peace it offered. "I'm staying until I have to go back to work."

  "I can't believe this." Openly frustrated, Linda pulled a hand through her hair. "That's nearly two months away. You're going to wait that long for the paternity test? You can't exactly sue Jason for child support if you drag your feet on the test, Kelly."

  "I'm not dragging my feet. I spoke with Marvin about this." And the attorney had been understanding and patient, treating Kelly in a professional, respectful manner. "Jason can have his blood drawn in Ohio, and I can take Brianna to a lab here in Texas. There are ways to do this long distance." She didn't want to rush home just because Jason would be there.' She wanted to enjoy her maternity leave, not fret about what he was doing and who he was doing it with. "Once the test results are in, I'll wait for Jason to contact me." She would give him time to accept the fact that Brianna was his, time to shake off the fear of fatherhood. "I'm not suing him for child support."

  "This is insane." Linda raised her voice, then lowered it when the baby let out an irritated squawk. "Do you know how hard it is to support a child on one income? Brianna deserves more. Her father is rich. Why shouldn't he pay?"