“Katy needs to be as far from the Cruises as possible.” Mike clenched his jaw.

“I mean, would you just walk away once she was placed with someone else?” Malory asked.

He sucked in a deep breath, then slowly let it out. “Emotionally, I’d have to, but I’d still keep an eye on her … make sure she stayed hidden.”

She nodded. He’d made his decision before she’d ever arrived, and she wasn’t about to change his mind.

His dark eyes moved back up to meet hers, and for the first time his guard was dropped. This wasn’t the sheriff looking down at her, this was the man— strong, solid, uncertain. She had to stop herself from stepping closer still.

“I should, um—” She blushed. What she wanted right now was to slip into those muscular arms and rest her cheek against his chest. She wanted to tell him that everything would be okay because she could help him, and he wouldn’t be facing this alone.

But that wasn’t true, and this was dangerous territory.

Safe in the

Lawman’s Arms

Patricia Johns

www.millsandboon.co.uk

PATRICIA JOHNS writes from northern Alberta, where she lives with her husband and son. The winters are long, cold and perfectly suited to novel writing. She has a BA in English Lit, and you can find her books in Mills & Boon’s Love Inspired and Mills & Boon Cherish lines.

To my husband, who inspires my romantic side. After ten years of marriage, he still makes my heart race.

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

The small girl looked up at Lieutenant Mike Cruise with unblinking blue eyes. One sticky hand clutched his badge—the gold six-pointed star that identified him as a sheriff in Hope, Montana. Her flaxen hair was still tousled from sleep, since she wouldn’t let him comb it that morning, letting out a shriek as loud as a siren every time he came near her with a hairbrush.

He wasn’t used to combing the silken curls of little girls. He was used to pushing himself to the brink on the weights at the gym, patrolling the streets of Hope and breaking up fights outside the local saloon. He was not used to this—a tiny person with more grit than he saw in the toughest ranch hand drinking away his paycheck.

“Katherine.” Mike squatted down next to the little girl. “Can I have that, please?”

She shook her head, small pink lips pursed in disapproval.

“That isn’t a toy, Katherine.” He held out his hand, and the preschooler took a step back. “Please, give it to me.”

Again, she shook her head, then wiped her nose down her sleeve, leaving a snail trail across her cheek.

Yuck. He still had to figure out how to get this child into a bathtub.

“Katherine...” He reached to take the badge from her and she opened her mouth, her shrill wail mingling with the sound of the doorbell. He heaved a sigh and pushed himself to his feet, forfeiting his badge for the moment.

He needed a nanny. Today.

Katherine watched him distrustfully as he turned toward the front door, then stepped over a pot, a sieve, an empty plastic juice jug and a small teddy bear—her favorite toys of the day. He could feel her gaze boring into the back of his T-shirt. Katherine hadn’t warmed up to him and it had been two days already—two very long days.

Mike opened the door. A young woman stood on the stoop, her sandy blond hair pulled away from her face in a ponytail. A smattering of freckles across her nose brought out the chocolate brown of her eyes, making her look a little more girl-next-door than he’d been expecting of a nanny. She wore a loose pink tunic-style top and a pair of blue jeans.

“Hi,” Mike said. “Miss Smythe?”

“Call me Malory.” She shook his hand firmly. “Do you have my résumé?”

“Yes, the agency emailed it.” He stepped aside and gestured her in. She paused in the doorway and looked around the sitting room in silent appraisal, her gaze falling on little Katherine. She bent down to the girl’s level.

“Hello, sweetie,” she said quietly. “What’s your name?”

Katherine didn’t answer, big blue eyes fixed on Malory’s face dubiously.

“This is Katherine,” Mike said. “She’s three.”

“Katherine,” she said with a nod. “That’s a very big name for a very little girl. Can I call you Katy?”

A smile flickered at the corners of the toddler’s lips and she sidled closer to Malory, holding up Mike’s badge. Malory’s eyes widened in admiration and she let out an exaggerated gasp.

“What do you have there?” Malory asked, pointing at the badge. “Can I see it?”

Katy held out the badge and Malory took it, then looked up at Mike, one brow raised.

“Thanks,” he said sheepishly, accepting the badge from her. “I’ve been trying to get that back all morning.”

“Thank you, Katy. That was nice of you,” Malory said and stood up.

He sighed. She hadn’t used any special trick. The little girl already seemed to like this woman better than she liked him.

“Why don’t you come through to the kitchen and I’ll get you a coffee while we talk,” Mike suggested, and he led the way through the living room, past the fireplace. This room used to be his sanctuary—big-screen TV, a wall of bookshelves, a comfortable leather couch with a footrest where he watched the game with friends. Now it was covered in Katy’s playthings, snacks and half-finished juice boxes. The kitchen was spacious, and so far still in one piece. He gestured to a stool at the counter and headed for the coffeemaker. Katy followed them, her gaze still locked on Malory.

“I just got custody of Katherine—” he paused, accepting the new name for the little girl “—Katy—two days ago. She’s my cousin’s daughter.”

“What happened to your cousin?” Malory asked.

“Prison.” He shot her a tight smile. Crystal had been involved in a fatal holdup and she’d been the only one they could pin to the scene, so she’d gotten twenty years without parole. “So Katy has been left to me, the only family member who is stable enough to care for a child.” The old uncertainty swam through his gut and he sighed. “I’m a cop, as you probably figured out.” He put his badge down on the counter with a click. “And I need a nanny for her.”

“Understandable.” Her tone was low and compassionate. “That’s a lot of adjustment for both of you.”

“Afraid so.” As he put the coffee on, she pulled a sheet of stickers out of her purse and stuck one on Katy’s nose. The girl giggled with delight—a sound he hadn’t heard from her yet.

Katy obviously needed more than he had to offer.

“If her mom is in prison now, she may not have gotten all the care she needed,” Malory said. “How is she doing socially?”

“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “I don’t know what normal looks like in a kid her age.”

“Is she potty trained?”

Mike shrugged. “Sort of. There have been a lot of accidents. I wasn’t sure how to tackle that.”

She passed Katy another sticker, and the little girl held out her hands for more.

“How is she at bedtime? Is she anxious, afraid?”

“It takes her a while to settle down,” he said. “I haven’t really been enforcing much of a bedtime. I’ve only had her for a couple of days, and I’ve let her stay up with me until she falls asleep around ten or eleven, and then I put her to bed.” He caught a look of faint disapproval crossing her face. “Not a long-term solution, I know.”

“She needs routine and a proper bedtime, but I understand you’ve been thrown into the deep end here.” She smiled sympathetically. “Preschoolers can be a handful at the best of times.”

“Thanks.” He was mildly relieved to be let off the hook. “Your references are excellent, but I’ve got to ask, what made you decide to work as a nanny?”

“I love kids.” She met his gaze with a comfortable smile.

“Why a live-in position?” he countered. “According to your résumé, you worked as a preschool teacher before this. In Billings. You running away from something?”

It was the cop in him. He couldn’t help it. He suspected the worst in everyone, it seemed, and this fresh-faced nanny was no exception.

Her earlier comfort evaporated and she smiled sadly. “Running? No. Walking briskly. I needed a change, and this seemed like a good way to get it.” She gave him a crooked smile. “I’d give you my criminal-record check if I didn’t think you’d already run one.”

Mike chuckled. She had him there. He’d run a thorough check on her the minute the agency gave him a name.

“So what are you walking briskly from?” he asked.

“Oh, it sounds so trite when I say it out loud. I was in a long-term relationship, and we broke up. I needed the change of scenery.”

It did sound a little trite, Mike had to admit, but it was believable.

“Mommy?” Katy said shyly, lifting a sticker up for Malory’s approval.

“At this age, every woman is Mommy,” Malory said, smiling apologetically. Then she bent down to inspect Katy’s sticker. “It’s lovely, Katy. But I’m not Mommy. I’m Nanny Mal.”

“Nanny Mal.” Katy’s face lit up. “I have a bear.”

“Will you show me?” Malory asked, and Katy ran from the room exuberantly.

“I haven’t seen her so happy,” Mike admitted. “She really seems to like you.”

“Was she living with her mother until recently?” Malory inquired.

“Yes. But it wasn’t a good situation. Her mother was in rehab for drug addiction, then relapsed and got involved a crime ring. If I’d known, I would have stepped in earlier, but my family doesn’t have a lot to do with me.”

“Because you’re a sheriff,” she concluded.

“Exactly. Social Services took Katy and brought her to me. Her mother gave up all rights to her. Signed her away.”

“That’s tragic.” Malory sighed. “Are you going to raise her as your own?”

The question didn’t surprise Mike, but he wasn’t entirely ready to answer it, either. He looked toward the preschooler running around the living room, pretending to search for the teddy bear that lay on the floor. She was sweet, but he knew that he was in over his head.

“I’m not planning on it,” he said quietly. “But while she’s with me, I’m going to need a hand.”

Malory didn’t answer, and when he glanced back at her, he found her gaze fixed on his face, her expression conflicted.

“You don’t like that,” he concluded.

“I’m not judging,” she said with a shake of her head. “I think you’re making the best decision you can.”

Mike shrugged. He wished he were equally convinced. He refused to let the girl go into the child welfare system, but he did hope that a family—far away from Katy’s own dogged beginnings—might want to adopt her.

“Well, I can pay what you’ve asked,” he said, his tone turning professional. “Katy seems to really like you. Is there anything else I should know?” He fixed her with an appraising stare.

“No, you have all the pertinent information.”

He paused for a moment, sorting through his impressions of her. She had more to her story, he could tell, but she came up clean in background check. Except for running a stop sign a few years ago, that was, but he could probably forgive her if that was the worst of her vices.

“When can you start?” he asked.

“Tomorrow.”

“Great. You’re hired.”

A smile split her face, sparkling through her brown eyes. She was prettier than he’d been hoping for in a nanny. Too pretty to make this entirely comfortable. With a nod, he poured a cup of the promised coffee and slid it to her across the counter.

“Here you go,” he said. “Your room will be upstairs next to Katy’s bedroom. I hope that will be okay.”

“It’ll be great. Thank you very much, Sheriff—”

“Call me Mike.”

“Mike.” She shook his hand, and her soft fingers lingered in his grip. Then she pulled free and picked up her mug. “If it’s okay, I’ll get moved in today.”

* * *

SUNLIGHT SPILLED THROUGH the windowpane, pooling on the hardwood floor. Malory looked around the little bedroom. A handmade quilt covered a single bed. It looked like a rag quilt, composed of different fabrics with no apparent pattern, but it was cozy nonetheless. A whitewashed wooden wardrobe stood in one corner, a wicker chair angled next to it with a pile of fresh towels on the seat. A full-length mirror hung on one wall, and a twisted rag rug lay next to the bed, completing the homey decor.

The bedroom was on the second floor of the rambling old house. This property was large and rural, so the neighbors were out of sight. It was peaceful, and she paused to listen to a bird twittering happily outside the window that overlooked the spacious backyard. Two large trees provided shade, and an overrun flower garden lined one side of a low white picket fence.

The whole scene was almost impossibly perfect, Malory thought. It reminded her of the house she used to dream about when she was a little girl, sitting alone in the small apartment after school while she waited for her mother to finish work. She used to imagine the perfect home—bright, airy, cozy, well loved. In winter, she’d picture the fireplace, roaring with heat. In the summer, she’d daydream about the backyard, dappled in sunlight.

Malory unzipped her suitcase, pulling her mind back to the present. She had a job to do.

“Nanny Mal?”

She turned to see Katy in the doorway, her worn bear clutched in her grasp and a sieve planted on her head like a little army helmet.

“Hi, sweetie.” She couldn’t help but chuckle at the solemn expression. “How are you doing?”

“I’m good.”

“My room is right next to yours,” Malory said. “And if you ever need me in the night, you can come right in, okay?”

Katy nodded, then crept closer to the suitcase and peered inside. Malory pulled out some clothes and brought them to the wardrobe.

“What’s this?” Katy asked, holding up a bottle of prenatal vitamins. Malory winced. Leave it to a toddler to zero in on the most personal, well-hidden items first.

“Those are just medicine I take to keep me healthy.”

“Oh.”

“And what’s this?” Katy reached into the suitcase and pulled out an envelope.

“That’s—” Malory sighed and took the envelope from Katy’s fingers. “Never mind. It’s boring grown-up stuff. Here—” Malory pulled a coloring book out of her things and passed it to her little charge. “I brought you something. Do you want to look at the pictures?”

Katy happily sat down to peruse the coloring book, and Malory opened the envelope and peeked inside at the sonogram. It was from her first ultrasound a few months earlier and it showed something the shape of a bean. But that little bean was her baby. She put a hand over her belly, feeling the soft tickle of her baby’s movement. At a little over four months along, she’d started feeling it only recently.

She’d expected to look a lot more pregnant than she already did, but she could still hide her condition quite successfully with the right clothes. She appeared plumper than usual, and her waist was definitely bigger, but she didn’t have that revealing baby bump yet. When was that supposed to happen? She had no idea. Regardless, her new boss hadn’t noticed her pregnancy, and she was relieved for that small mercy. She needed this job, and she knew what would happen if she announced her condition at the outset—the same thing that happened to other pregnant nannies. She’d end up jobless. While she knew that she’d have to go back to live with her mother when the baby was due, she was hoping to put that off as long as possible.

“Would you like some crayons?” Malory scooped up a box of them from the bottom of her suitcase and passed them to Katy, who beamed with delight.

“The sun is green,” Katy announced, pulling out a crayon and setting to work with large, jerking scribbles. “Green, green, green.”

“Not yellow?” Malory asked.

“No. Green.”

Malory chuckled. Well, why not? Why not have a green sun? Why couldn’t Katy make her own rules?

This pregnancy hadn’t been part of the plan. Malory was one of those people who planned everything. She was cautious. She was responsible. If she colored a sun, it was yellow. And then her boyfriend, Steve, told her that he didn’t love her after all and took off with her best friend. Well, ex–best friend, if she was going to get technical. Two weeks later, Malory missed her period. And with everything that happened after she let Steve know... Well, she didn’t want to dwell on it. Regardless, that left the financial responsibilities squarely on her own shoulders.

A tap on the door pulled her attention away from unpacking. Mike stood in the doorway. He’d changed out of his jeans and T-shirt and now stood in full uniform. A dark green button-up shirt tugged ever so slightly around his muscled biceps, paired with khaki dress pants. His heavy belt held a variety of tools, including a gun. He crossed his arms over his chest, dark eyes moving over the room, then coming back to rest on her.

“I hope I’m not in the way,” he said, and she shook her head.

“Not in the least. I was just getting unpacked. Katy is coloring.”

An odd look came over his face. “You’re good, you know.”

“I know.” She laughed. “She’s a sweet girl. I’m sure we’ll get along very well. In fact—” Malory looked at her watch “—for her age, it’s just about nap time.”

“Nap time?” He frowned. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

“That would explain how frazzled you look.” She laughed softly.

“I’m new at this,” he said.

“That isn’t a crime,” she reassured him. “When we get a good routine going, everything will fall into place. You’ll see.”

She wanted to make him feel better, but she had to wonder if there would be other surprises coming. Katy might have any number of issues to deal with because of her rocky beginnings, and they’d just have to deal with them as they arose. Regardless, a well-rested child would help any situation.

He nodded, an amused smile quirking his lips. “I’m counting on that.”

She reached over and brushed a curl off Katy’s forehead. “Katy, come with me. It’s time to lie down on your bed.”

“Why?”

“We’ll do this every day. We’ll have a rest, and then we can play again in a little while.”

“Nanny Mal?”

“Yes, sweetie?”

“Will you go away?”

Malory smiled sadly. This little girl had had too many goodbyes in her short life. “No, sweetheart. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“Mommy went away.”

Malory held out a hand. “I know. But I’ll be here. I promise.”

Katy didn’t look convinced, but she consented to be led to Mike’s office which had been made into her bedroom, Mike trailing behind them. She crawled up onto the bed that was squeezed in next to the desk, popping a thumb into her mouth as she lay down on the pillow. Malory eased a blanket over the tiny form, and before she could stand, Katy put out one small hand and pressed it against Malory’s belly. Malory quickly moved Katy’s hand away and rose to her feet, hoping that Mike hadn’t noticed.

“After you rest, I have a fun game for us to play together,” Malory said quickly. “But a rest first, okay?”

“But I don’t want you to go.” Katy’s face crumpled and tears filled her eyes. “Don’t go...”

Malory sighed and sank back down onto the edge of the bed. “I’ll stay for a few minutes, but only if you keep your eyes closed.”

Katy clamped a small hand over Malory’s fingers and obediently closed her eyes. This child was desperate for some stability, and for a little while, Malory could provide it. But Katy needed more than a nanny. She needed a permanent parent. Glancing back at Mike in the doorway, she gave him a reassuring smile.

Mike stood rigidly, his face a granite mask of professional reserve. He might as well have been at a crime scene for all the emotion he allowed to slip through.

“I thought I’d get a bit of work done at the station, if you’ve got everything under control,” he said. “Of course, I’ll start paying you today—”

“We’ll be fine.”

He gave a curt nod, then disappeared, his footsteps echoing along the hallway and down the stairs.

Malory turned her gaze back to Katy, whose eyes were open again, staring up at her with uncertainty.

“It’s okay,” she said with a smile. “Close your eyes. I’m here.”

A couple of minutes later, the front door opened and shut, leaving them in quiet. Her new boss interested her, and she couldn’t help but wonder about the confident cop. He was handsome and intriguing—and while she tried to push that fact from her mind, she couldn’t quite banish it.

Rein it in, Mal, she chided herself silently, putting a hand over the flutter in her middle. You have someone else to worry about.

Chapter Two

Hope, Montana, was a small ranching community consisting of a few schools, a well-stocked grocery store and a Main Street that sported murals on the sides of buildings, celebrating the Old West history. A mayor with a flair for the dramatic a few years back had dubbed the place “the Town of a Thousand Murals.” There weren’t exactly a thousand, but Main Street certainly did give a history lesson. The Hope Sheriff’s Department was tucked between the local bank and a community hall, the side of which displayed an old-fashioned harvest with horse-drawn combines. The police station was a squat brick building, the office space cramped and out-of-date, and the parking lot only large enough to house the town’s cruisers.

A warm summer breeze pushed across the plains, carrying the scent of ripening wheat from the surrounding fields. Hot prairie sunshine beat down on the dusty streets, and as Mike pulled open the police-station door, he waved to an older woman walking her dog along the sidewalk.

“Hi there,” she called.

“Hi, Mrs. Hyatt,” he called back, then headed in. He knew almost everyone in this town. He’d been raised in Hope and now served on the police force. That meant that most of the people he protected remembered him as a gangly kid, and he doubted that he’d ever completely grown up in their eyes. He’d matured into a muscular man, over six feet tall, but for the older ladies around town, he’d never stop being “that Cruise boy.”

Mike blinked as his eyes adjusted from the afternoon sunlight. He pulled off his hat and held it under one arm as he headed inside.

“I thought you had the day off, Mike,” Corporal Tuck Leavitt commented, looking up from his desk. He had a phone pinched between his cheek and his shoulder, the hold music playing loud enough for Mike to hear it clearly. Tuck had a big brush of a blond mustache and gentle, soulful eyes.

“I do.” Mike tossed his hat onto his desk and sank into the creaky office chair.

“Then what are you doing here?” Tuck took a sip of coffee.

“Getting away. The nanny started today.”

“Oh, yeah?” Tuck put up a finger and turned his attention to the phone as someone picked up. “Hi, this is Corporal Leavitt from the Hope Sheriff’s Department...”

Mike turned away as Tuck went about verifying the alibi for a suspect. Like any other law-enforcement officer, Mike procrastinated his paperwork until either it was due to be submitted or he needed to avoid feeling something. As an escape, work always seemed better than a bar. At least he could get something productive done, and nothing was quite so numbing as filing a report in triplicate.

He turned on his computer and flipped through some forms in his inbox. But his mind kept going back to Malory. She’d been there only a few hours, but she already had Katy relaxed and happy, the chaos of the past couple of days evaporating in her calm cheerfulness. There was something about that scene—so domestic and sweet. He couldn’t quite forget the solemn look on Katy’s face, her hands clutching Malory’s fingers as she lay on her bed.

“Thanks. I’ll be in touch.” Tuck hung up the phone and tossed a folder onto Mike’s desk. “Alibi is rock solid.”

“Figured.” Mike shuffled the folder into his pile of waiting paperwork, then turned back to his computer.

“So, you hired a nanny,” Tuck said with a grin. “And how is Katherine liking her?”

“She’s Katy now. Malory shortened it, and Katy seemed to like it better.”

“Huh. Sounds like it’s going well, then.”

Mike glanced up from the computer. “Can’t complain.”

“So what’s she like?”

“Too pretty,” Mike replied with a shrug. “I was hoping for a cross between Mrs. Doubtfire and Mary Poppins.”

“A spoonful of sugar with masculine shoulders?” Tuck laughed.

“Too much to ask?” he said, grinning. “Instead, I got—” He stopped, not wanting to finish his thought—he’d only sound like a lout. She really was too pretty for comfort.

“So what are you doing here at the station?” Tuck asked.

“I don’t know. I feel like a third wheel back at the house. In a matter of days, my calm, relaxing home has turned into...” He shook his head, searching for the word.

“Family space? Toys everywhere, snacks, crumbs, noise.”

“Yeah, pretty much.” He chuckled. “At least you know what I’m talking about.”

Tuck had a wife and four kids of his own.

“It’s not so bad,” Tuck replied. “You’ll never sleep in again, or stay up late, for that matter, but it has its payoffs, too.”

“This isn’t long-term,” Mike said. “I’ll sleep in again. Don’t worry about that. Anyway, Malory seems to have everything under control.”

“Yeah?” Tuck didn’t look convinced. “You still think you can say goodbye to that little sweetheart?”

“I’m just helping out until we can find a permanent solution,” Mike replied. “I told you that before. She’s better off away from the Cruise clan completely. This isn’t about how cute she is. This is about what’s best for her. You know what my family is like.”

Tuck shrugged. “Your call, buddy.”

The best decisions weren’t always the easiest. Mike came from a long line of career criminals—Crystal was falling pretty close to the tree with her jail time. For as long as Mike could remember, he’d been hearing about drug busts, arrests and attempts to escape the law—none of it from the side of the “good guys.” The best thing for little Katy was to have a fresh start with a new family, far from the Cruises—as he had. He’d walked away and started a new life for himself, fighting the crime that had left indelible marks upon his childhood.

Mike pulled up his email and scanned the latest police notices. At work he felt as though he had some control—maybe not as much as he’d like, but at least he had procedures to follow. There would always be crime, and there would always be paperwork, but at least there were laws to protect the innocent.

“Speaking of your family,” Tuck said. “Your dad is in town.”

“What?” Mike’s attention snapped back to his friend. “How do you know?”

“He started a scuffle of some sort in the Honky Tonk.”

Mike sighed. That sounded about right. “Where is he now?”

Tuck shook his head. “I don’t know. But I thought you might want a heads-up. He looks just the same—a bit older, maybe.”

Tuck would know. He and Mike had gone to high school together and joined the sheriff’s department in the same year. He was well aware of Mike’s family, especially his father.

Mike didn’t answer, forcing the anger back down. His father had been a real piece of work when Mike was growing up. He was a mean drunk and he was drunk a lot of the time. Mike didn’t have many happy family memories after his mother died. The day his father skipped the county was a good day in his books.

“He told me to give you a message.”

Mike raised his eyebrows inquiringly. “Oh?”

“He said to tell you that he’s home. That’s all.”

“For good?” Mike frowned.

“He didn’t say. I couldn’t hold him. He hadn’t done anything. In fact, he pulled an underage kid out of the bar when a fight broke out.”

Mike sighed. He hated it when his father did something honorable. It made it harder to mentally file him away.

“He hasn’t contacted you?” Tuck pressed.

“Nope. This is the first I’ve heard of it.”

“Do you think he heard about your cousin’s daughter?”

Mike shrugged. “I have no idea, but my dad hasn’t had any use for me in ten years, so I highly doubt he’s back for a heartwarming reunion.”

Tuck shrugged. “Just passing along the message.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

He pushed his rising discomfort down and focused on the paperwork in front of him. This was precisely why he was at the station—to bury himself in work. He had a feeling that whether he wanted it to or not, his life was about to tip upside down.

* * *

MALORY PUT THE LAST of the dishes into the dishwasher and closed it. Upstairs, Katy was already in bed for the night, her hair damp from her bath and her bear clutched in her arms. She’d refused to have her hair combed, and Malory hadn’t pressed the point. She’d fallen asleep almost immediately after Malory kissed her good-night, the exhaustion of the past few days catching up with her.

Outside the kitchen window, the evening sunlight slanted low and golden across the backyard. The oak tree cast a long shadow, leaves rustling in the warm summer wind. This was the kind of backyard that begged for a tire swing or sandbox.

The front door opened, then banged shut again, and Malory turned to see Mike ambling into the kitchen. He held a pizza box in one hand, balanced easily on his fingertips. His broad chest tapered down to a tight waist, circled by the heavy belt of his uniform. The badge glinted against his neatly ironed shirt in the soft light of the kitchen, and Malory had to glance away, afraid to seem unprofessional admiring her boss’s physique.

“I thought you might be hungry,” he said, sliding the pizza onto the counter.

“Katy’s already in bed,” she replied. “We had some grilled cheese for supper.”

“So not hungry?” He flipped open the lid to reveal a piping-hot pepperoni pie, crispy, greasy pepperoni slices buried in oozing mozzarella. She was always hungry these days, and she shot him a grin.

“Well, if you put it that way,” she said. “I wouldn’t turn it down.”

Mike went to the cupboard and returned with two plates. “I hope you didn’t mind me going to the station today.”

“That’s all right.”

“I thought it would be easier to have me out of the way.” He smiled uncertainly and pulled a piece of pizza from the rest of the pie, strings of cheese stretching to his plate. “Dig in.”

Malory followed suit, and after a big bite, she said, “I don’t need you out of the way, you know.”

“No? She seems happy with you.”

“My job is to help with child care. I do all the things you can’t do while you’re working, but I shouldn’t be taking over your role as her parent.”

“I’m not her father. I’m her second cousin,” he replied.

“And I’m not her mother. I’m paid to be here,” she countered. “You’re the closest thing she has to a dad right now.”

His dark eyes met hers for the first time. Then his gaze flickered toward the window. “I’m afraid to let her get attached to me.”

“Children need to bond to someone,” she replied quietly.

“She’s bonding to you.”

“Yes.” Malory sighed. She knew what he wanted—for her to take care of the emotional needs of the child so that when he had to let go of her, it would hurt less. She understood, even if she completely disagreed. “Kids need to know that they’re loved in the world, even if they have to say goodbye. Sometimes it’s good for them to see that they leave an empty space behind them and that it’s hard to let go of them.”

Mike didn’t answer for a moment, and she wondered if she’d overstepped. Then he sighed and met her gaze.

“I’m not great with kids.” His voice rumbled low. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

“You’ve already started.” She gave him a smile. “And you’re doing just fine.”

He snorted and took a bite of pizza. For a few minutes they focused on eating. Malory polished off three pieces before she started to slow down. She remembered her pregnant friends saying that the baby was hungry, and it had seemed like a silly cover for eating like a teenager again. But now she understood. She was famished in a way she’d never experienced before, and it sure did feel as if the baby inside her was calling the shots.

“So, tell me about you,” he said, changing the subject. “Are you from Montana?”

“No, I’m from Baltimore.” She popped a stray piece of pepperoni into her mouth.

“This is a long way from home, then.”

“Home is relative.” She shrugged, and when he cast her a curious look, she conceded, “My mom and I moved around a lot.”

“Army?” he asked.

“No, just...moving.” They’d moved for so many reasons. Once to get away from a boyfriend who wouldn’t accept that her mother was done with him. Several times they’d moved for promising new relationships that hadn’t turned out to be as great as they’d seemed. Malory didn’t like to talk about the hard times she and her mother had had together, so she just offered a wan smile.

“That sounds kind of tough.”

“It was, so I’ve got a soft spot for kids who need stability.” She took another piece of pizza and piled the strings of cheese back on top of the slice.

“So live-in positions must be hard. Can’t settle too long anywhere,” he commented.

“Well, like I said, I needed the change of scenery.” She shrugged. “It’s not so bad. I’ve gotten used to it. Besides, as an adult, I have control over my life. It’s an entirely different situation when you can choose to move instead of being dragged somewhere.”

He didn’t answer at first. His face was ruggedly handsome, his chin bristled with stubble. The lines around his dark eyes betrayed a sense of humor—the man had smiled a lot in his lifetime, even if he seemed serious now. He swallowed.

“I’ve lived in Hope since I was about ten,” he said. “I know pretty much everyone in this town—and being a sheriff, I probably know them better than they’d like.” He laughed.

“You’d think a place this small would be pretty quiet for law enforcement,” she said past a bite of pizza.

He shook his head. “It’s the opposite. Domestic disturbances, drunk and disorderlies, teenage house parties. It probably looks pretty quiet from the outside, but I get a bird’s-eye view of pretty much everything.”

She nodded. “You hold secrets.”

“Enough of them. But they hold enough of mine, too. I think that’s part of what makes a place home—swapped secrets.”

Malory arched a brow. “You don’t seem like you’d have too many skeletons.”

“Not too many personal ones,” he agreed. “But my family was an out-of-control lot. When I was growing up, the cops came by my place on a weekly basis. My mom died when I was young, and my dad was all I had. He was an alcoholic, and being part of the Cruise clan wasn’t a good thing, I can assure you.”

“You seem to have turned out all right, though.”

“I figured there had to be something more to life.”

“I get that.” She nodded slowly. “It wouldn’t be easy, though.”

“Yeah, well.” He shrugged, seeming ready to drop the topic.

“So what did you do?”

“Hmm?” He wiped his lips with a napkin.

“How did you come out on top?”

“A cop took me under wing.”

“Oh?”

“As a kid, I started out as a troublemaker. I got into a lot of fights. Started most of them. But one day a cruiser dropped my dad off at home—I don’t remember what he’d done that time. The cop took one look at me, and he must have seen something worth saving, because he passed me his card and said I could call him if I wanted a job.”

“What kind of job?” she asked.

“Yard work. He was clearing out some trees on his property. So I called him, he put me to work and he paid me. That was the first time I worked for anything, and it felt good.”

She smiled. “And the rest is history?”

“Pretty much.” He chuckled. “Everyone in this town knows all about my humble beginnings, so it isn’t much of a secret. In fact, there are probably about six or seven old ladies quite willing to fill you in.”

“Well, you’re lucky,” she admitted. “But you don’t want to be that bighearted cop in Katy’s life and help turn things around for her?”

“I might be able to do that,” he agreed. “But you’re forgetting that her mother is in prison. What about when she wants to meet her mom? What about when her mother wants back into her life? What about cousins and uncles and aunts who are involved in crime? I’m not her only family member, and I wouldn’t be her only influence. If she stayed with me, how could I refuse to let her meet the rest of her relatives?”

Malory nodded. Much as she hated to admit it, Mike had a point. The situation was more complicated than it appeared at first glance. While Mike could easily draw some lines if he felt strongly enough, this wasn’t a cut-and-dried situation, and it wasn’t her decision to make.

“I think I understand,” she said with a nod.

A smile twitched at the corners of his lips. “Thanks.”

“But I stand by what I said—she needs to know that she matters and that when she does move on, she’ll be missed. That shows her that she has value. It might not be easy on you, but it’s better for her in the long run.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” His tone turned gruff, and he cleared his throat. His walls had just gone back up again.

She could see a flicker of the real man underneath the tough shell, and he had a softer heart than he liked to let on.

“Thanks for the pizza,” she said, licking her fingertips. “That hit the spot.”

He grabbed the plates and proceeded to clean up around her. “Look, I, uh—” He glanced toward her, then turned back to the counter. “I don’t normally chatter like that.”

“Like what?” she asked curiously.

“Oh, family history, that kind of thing.” He turned to face her, and for the first time she saw uncertainty swimming in those dark eyes. He obviously wasn’t comfortable with vulnerability.

“It helps to understand the situation,” she assured him. “And you can trust me to be discreet.”

“Thanks.”

Malory looked toward the window, where the sun was lowering temptingly in the sky. The breeze would be cool by now, and she longed for some time to herself.

“I thought I’d go for a walk,” she said.

He nodded. “You can walk east, if you want to, but don’t head west. There are some dogs that are pretty protective of their property out that direction.”

His eyes met hers, warm and gentle, and her heart gave a lurch. If the situation were different, he’d be very easy to fall for.

She smiled. “Thanks for the warning.”

Mike was afraid to get attached to Katy, and she could understand that. She didn’t really want to take a walk so much as she wanted to get out of the house. Her handsome boss was just a little too attractive, a little too intriguing... She had to say goodbye in a few months, too, and while she knew she’d miss little Katy, she had no intention of making that harder than it needed to be by getting too close to Mike, too.

If nothing else, Malory was a consummate professional.

Chapter Three

The next morning, Mike stood in the kitchen, listening to the soft peals of laughter filtering through the ceiling above. Malory was getting Katy dressed, and he had to admit that there was something very sweet about the sound of a woman’s voice in the house.

“One...two...up we go!” Katy’s laughter followed.

Mike took another sip of aromatic black coffee and leaned with his backside against the counter. Tonight he’d work a late shift, so this morning was free. There’d been a time—about a week ago, to be exact—when that had meant sleeping in, watching a movie or working out at the gym. Now those things seemed out of place, somehow. Malory’s words from the evening before were still echoing through his mind. He had a responsibility to Katy, whether he thought he was good for the girl or not. He might be trying to keep an emotional distance, but Katy needed more from him. He wasn’t even sure he knew how to give it, but maybe he could put in some effort here.

The clatter of footsteps echoed down the staircase, and a moment later, a beaming little face appeared around the corner, blond curls in pigtails and a little pink dress ruffling out around her thin legs.

“Good morning, Katy,” Mike said.

“Hi.” She stared up at him, big blue eyes fixed on his face. “Do you have food?”

“Uh—” He looked over at the kitchen table, where a breakfast spread awaited. “Yes.”

Katy scampered over to a kitchen chair and climbed up, grabbing for the nearest box of cereal and shaking it exuberantly. Malory calmly rescued the box before it exploded, slipping it from her charge’s small fingers.

“Not like that,” Malory said. “I’ll pour you a bowl, okay? Sit down.”

Malory shot Mike a smile as she prepared Katy’s bowl of cornflakes. “How did you sleep?”

“Fine.” He cleared his throat, suddenly uncomfortable with this domestic scene in the middle of his house. “And you?”

“Like a baby.” She chuckled as she stretched forward to reach the pitcher.

“So I was thinking about what you said last night,” Mike said.

Katy wasn’t paying attention, her attention on the food in front of her. Malory glanced up, brown eyes meeting his.

“I thought I might take the two of you out for ice cream this afternoon.”

“Great idea,” Malory agreed. She tucked her sandy-blond hair behind one ear, exposing the creamy length of her neck. “What do you think of that, Katy? Should we go out for ice cream today?”

Katy nodded and picked up a spoon in one fist as Malory set the bowl in front of her. She dug in immediately, milk dribbling down her chin. Her excitement at the prospect of breakfast saddened him. Well-fed kids tended to be pickier eaters than Katy was, and he couldn’t help but wonder how many mornings she’d had the option of breakfast in her young life.

“How are you settling in?” Mike asked as Malory sat down opposite Katy and reached for her own cereal.

“This is a beautiful home. I’m very comfortable.” She poured a full bowl and added milk. “It can’t be easy to share your space, though.”

“Oh, I survive.” A smile played on his lips. Truth be told, he was having trouble thinking about anything more than the pretty nanny in his house. He could smell the sweet scent of her shampoo in the hallway that led away from the main bathroom. The sound of her cheerful tones filtered through the house in daylight, and all last night, he’d found himself uncomfortably aware that she slept down the hall.

“I took a shower late last night,” Malory said. “I was worried it might wake you. Maybe we could decide on a lights-out time so that you aren’t disturbed.”

Mike shook his head. “No, don’t worry about that. You’re no bother.”

Frankly, it wasn’t her problem if he couldn’t get his mind off her. She was just doing her job, and he’d have to practice a little more mental self-control. She was the kind of woman who would draw his eye in a social setting with her down-home good looks. If he saw her standing by the buns at a barbecue, her hair tucked behind her ear like that, he’d find his way over and introduce himself. But this was different—this was a professional line.

“I’ve noticed that you don’t have any photos around your home,” Malory said, her brown eyes meeting his. “Why is that?”

“I’ve mentioned the Cruise clan, haven’t I?” He gave her a wry smile.

“But what about your mom?” she asked. “Don’t you have pictures of her?”

He sighed. Having a woman living in his home seemed like a great idea when he needed round-the-clock child care for Katy, but right about now it made privacy a whole lot harder. “I said that my mom died, right?”

She nodded, chewing her cereal thoughtfully.

“I’m pretty sure she did, at least. I just don’t know when. She ran off and left us when I was young. I don’t have many memories of her, but all of them involved yelling and anger.”

“Oh...” Malory winced. “I’m really sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’ve made my peace with it.”

“Haven’t you searched for her?”

“I have, but I couldn’t find anything. My dad told me she died, so maybe he was right. He had a pretty flexible relationship with the truth, so I didn’t know.” He stopped when he saw the sadness swimming through Malory’s eyes. “Sorry. This is why I don’t talk about these things.”

“Don’t you have anyone you trust?” she asked quietly.

“I trust the sheriff’s department. I trust the officers I work with day in and day out. I trust myself.”

She nodded slowly. “That’s something.” Malory passed Katy half a banana, her gaze flickering toward him, then back to her charge. “It seems a little empty in here without pictures.”

“I like it this way.” Irritation wormed its way up inside him. He had a painful past, and pictures only served to remind him of it. He preferred to live in the present, enjoy the security of the life he worked for.

Mike let his gaze roam around his kitchen and out into the slice of living room that was visible. He hadn’t actually intended to keep his home so free of pictures. One day, he always thought he’d have wedding photos, school pictures and family portraits of his own brood. But then he’d be able to protect them. He’d be able to put up a wall between them and the extended family that used and abused with apparent abandon.

Katy dropped the last of her banana into her bowl.

“You’re done?” Malory asked. “Okay. Can you wash your hands by yourself, or do you need my help?”

“I can do it!” Katy declared and clattered from the table.

“You think I’m heartless, don’t you?” Mike asked when they stood alone in the kitchen.

“No.” She shook her head. “I think you’re scarred.”

He shrugged, accepting her estimation. Maybe he was. “You do realize that as a law-enforcement officer, I can’t associate with known felons, right?”

“That makes sense.”

“And that includes pretty much all of my family.”

“Except Katy.”

“Yes, except Katy.” He grabbed the boxes of cereal and brought them to the cupboard. “You can’t really understand where I’m coming from unless you’ve experienced it.”

She was silent, and he glanced over to find her brown eyes trained on him. “And you don’t think that they can change?” she asked.

“Change?” He chuckled bitterly. “I’ve been a sheriff for ten years and I’ve never seen anyone change.”

“You changed,” she countered.

“There are a few rescues,” he admitted. “I was one of them. But not many. Addiction is like that. It’s a vise grip.”

“I could see that.”

“And the lies...the constant lying. It gets to me. You know they’re lying to you and you know exactly why. Everyone has a reason to lie. In court it’s called motive.”

“What would they lie about?” she asked, her expression clouding. She shifted in her seat.

“Everything. Anything. Do you know what it’s like to not be able to trust anything someone tells you?”

“I know what it’s like to find out I’ve been duped,” she replied with a wry smile.

He paused, wondering who’d duped her in the past, but there wasn’t time to ask. Katy came back down the stairs, water saturating her dress front. She looked up at Malory with a big smile. “I’m done.”

“You need a tiny bit of help.” Malory chuckled. “Come on... Let’s go get you cleaned up. We have to brush your teeth, too...”

Malory left the room, and Mike sighed. He was talking too much. He didn’t know what it was about this lovely nanny, but he found himself opening up more than he was comfortable with—talking about all the things he normally kept sealed safely inside.

Their footsteps clomped up the stairs toward the bathroom. Mike suspected that Malory was holding something back—something that made her nervous when he talked about honesty and lies. He hadn’t missed the tension in her stance when the topic came up—the sheriff in him didn’t just turn off when he was off duty.

And someone had duped her... For some reason, that little nugget of information stuck.

* * *

BEAUTY’S ICE CREAM was an old-fashioned place sandwiched between a coffee shop and a fish-and-chips restaurant. Outside, in the front window, faded pictures of various ice-cream treats advertised the options. A large pink ice-cream cone stood like a sentinel next to the door. It was an old building with some peeling paint and vinyl booths that could be seen through the window. Above them, the vast expanse of prairie sky stretched over the town—watery blue scratched across with wispy clouds. A warm breeze stirred, and Malory pulled her hair away from her face.

“You ready?” Mike asked, pulling open the door and stepping back. He shot her a grin.

Katy hung back, distrust etched in her tiny features.

“Don’t you want ice cream?” Malory asked.

Katy scowled in the direction of the door.

“Not going in,” she declared.

“Why not?” Malory bent down and then crouched next to Katy. It was awkward, and she felt her position shift to make way for the swell of her belly. She realized with a sinking feeling that she’d have trouble standing up again on her own. Something had changed even in the past few days.

“No!” Katy said, her little voice echoing across the street. “No!”

It was a tantrum...or would be soon. Malory wasn’t surprised in the least.

“Really?” Malory asked, exaggerating her surprise. “Because I sure wanted ice cream.”

Katy’s face screwed up into a wail before the sound even started, and then she flopped herself onto the ground and howled. Malory winced.

“Wow,” Mike said.

Malory shrugged. “It happens. She’s three. Expect more of this.”

“Over ice cream?” Mike looked incredulous.

“Why not? She’s been through a lot. She doesn’t know how to make sense of it. Sometimes a little venting helps.”

Katy was in full tantrum now, but she wasn’t going to hurt herself. Malory tried to stand up and she suddenly knew what had changed over the past couple of days—her center of gravity. Her stomach sank. This was the last thing she’d expected, and she glanced nervously toward Mike.

“Could I get a hand?” she asked, attempting to sound as natural as possible. Mike looked back at her curiously, then down at the wailing toddler. Katy hadn’t let up, but she couldn’t keep going forever, either.

“You okay?” Mike held out a hand, and when she took it, he lifted her easily to her feet. She stumbled forward as she rose and landed in Mike’s strong arms. He was like a tank—solid with muscle and about as immovable. Her body connected with his, and Mike froze, then looked down at her in unveiled surprise.

“Wait, you’re—” He released her and stepped back, looking her up and down. Malory quickly adjusted her top and turned her attention to Katy, whose wails were now abating.

“Are we ready for ice cream, then?” Malory asked brightly. “I like vanilla ice cream. What kind do you like, sweetie?”

Katy sniffled and looked up at Malory dubiously.

“I don’t know,” Katy said after a moment, and she got back to her feet.

Malory glanced at Mike once more, and she found his dark eyes locked on her. He knew. He’d felt her belly when he caught her. She knew she couldn’t unring that bell, but she still held on to a fragment of hope that she might be able to hide her pregnancy awhile longer.

“So...” His voice was low and calm.

She sighed, giving in to the impulse and putting a hand onto her belly. “Yes, I’m pregnant. I thought I could keep it to myself, but—” She glanced down at her stomach. She’d been growing, and even the most careful dressing couldn’t fully mask it any longer. She’d wondered when she’d start to show—apparently, at four and a half months.

“Okay.” He looked toward the door of the shop but didn’t move. “You didn’t want to mention it?”

“It’s personal.” She threw him a defiant look, then dropped the bravado. “Mike, I need this job. The agency won’t keep me on if I can’t get a position, and I need the health insurance. It costs a lot to have a baby, and if I lost my health insurance...” She didn’t need to finish.

“Yeah, I could see that.” He sighed. “I wish you’d said something.”

The wind whisked some hair into her eyes and she pulled it back irritably. He wanted her to say something? Had he ever had to risk his ability to keep his health insurance? This pregnancy had been a shock. It wasn’t as if she had a contingency plan! The father was canoodling with the one woman she’d thought she’d always be able to count on, and she had to figure this all out before the baby was born.

“So am I fired?” she asked abruptly.

His dark eyes swept over her, his emotions hidden behind that mask of his. Then he shook his head. “No. Legally, you don’t need to disclose that information.”

She tried to suppress the sigh of relief. “But you’re still probably annoyed.”

He nodded slowly, and for a brief moment disappointment cracked through his professional demeanor.

“I like honesty.” His expression froze her in place for what felt like an eternal moment.

Honesty. His words stung more than any firing would have. She’d always considered herself an honest person. She believed in honesty, too, but when things got complicated, she also had a real appreciation for privacy. She’d never imagined herself pregnant and alone. She’d always wanted to be married first. Maybe even own a home. But here she was, on the cusp of single parenthood. Did he have any idea how terrifying that was?

“Let’s get some ice cream,” he said after a moment and pulled open the door and held it for her, a bell tinkling overhead. The gesture was sweetly old-fashioned.

“Come on, sweetie,” she said softly, taking Katy’s hand in hers. “We need ice cream.”

Her stomach rumbled. She needed more than comfort; she was hungry. As she approached the door to the shop, held open by the broad-shouldered sheriff, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that nothing would ever be the same again.

She could finally admit it. She was officially eating—and working—for two.

Chapter Four

Pregnant.

Mike eyed Malory cautiously as she stepped through into the air-conditioned ice-cream shop. Her lightly scented perfume lingered. He could see it now: the way her body swelled at her waistline, the way she moved with careful, certain steps. He was a sheriff. He was supposed to see the details, and this one had swept right by him with embarrassing ease.

The only excuse he could offer up to his tattered ego was that he’d been too focused on the rest of her. They were swimming farther and farther away from the Mrs.-Doubtfire-and-Mary-Poppins hybrid he’d been hoping for.

Katy clung to Malory’s hand, dancing along happily, her tantrum already forgotten. Mike stepped inside after them and caught himself short of putting a hand on Malory’s back to guide her forward. He shoved his hand in his pocket instead.

What was with him? He felt a sudden protective surge, but she was his employee, nothing more. And she’d preferred to keep this information to herself, so she obviously wasn’t looked for a big, strong man to take care of her.

“Look, Mike—” Malory tipped her face up to meet his gaze, worry swimming in her eyes.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “What kind of ice cream do you want?”

She blinked, then dropped her gaze to Katy. They conversed softly, and then Malory answered, “I’d like vanilla, and Katy wants the blue one. What is that, bubble gum?”

Mike scanned the tubs of ice cream through the glass guard.

“How’s it going, Mike?” Trent, the store owner, asked. He was a portly man, bald on top and gray on the sides. He wore a white apron over a Beatles T-shirt. Trent’s ice cream came from milk from his own dairy farm. It was a creamy delicacy that drew people from miles around, and he’d named the shop after his favorite dairy cow.

“Not too bad. Just taking these ladies out for a treat.”

Mike caught the twitch in Trent’s eyebrow as his gaze flickered toward Malory and back again.

“Ah.” Trent shot Mike an approving grin. “And what’ll it be?”

“Three cones—vanilla, chocolate and whatever the blue one is. Maybe make the blue one a kiddie cone.”

“Blue raspberry.”

“Sound good, Katy?” Mike asked, looking down. “The blue one is raspberry. Is that what you want?”

“Blue!” Katy declared.

“Blue it is.”

Katy squirmed away, and Malory followed, leaving Mike with Trent. He could see them in the wide mirror behind the counter, getting settled at a table by a window. Trent looked after Malory with an admiring smile.

“Girlfriend?” he asked, lowering his voice.

“No, she’s the new nanny.” Mike shook his head. “So don’t start any rumors, my friend.”

“Me?” Trent chuckled. “Well, if you want a little advice—”

“I don’t.” Mike gave Trent a dominant expression that told the other man to back down. “But thanks.”

Trent shrugged and grabbed a cone and a scoop. “Suit yourself, Mike, but if I were ten years younger and single...” He sank the scoop into the velvety surface of the vanilla ice cream. “Actually, strike that. If I were single, period, I’d ask her out myself.”

“I wouldn’t say that in front of Rita,” Mike teased, and Trent’s rosy complexion blanched ever so slightly as he scooped.

“Never. She’d kill me.” He passed the cone over the glass guard.

Mike chuckled and turned to beckon Malory over. “This is yours.”

Katy came running over, and Trent prepared the blue raspberry cone. Malory smiled as she accepted the cone from Mike’s hand. Her cool fingers brushed his ever so slightly and she tossed him a smile of thanks before taking her first bite. He watched for her reaction and he was rewarded with an eye roll of ecstasy.

“Oh, wow,” she murmured. “This is good.”

“Trent makes the best,” Mike agreed, and he wasn’t quite able to dampen the swell of pride to have been able to provide it.

“And this is for you,” Mike said, accepting the next cone from Trent and handing it down to Katy. Katy’s eyes widened in delight, and she took the treat in both hands, then waggled her tongue into the top of it.

“Let’s go sit,” Malory said softly, leading Katy away again toward the table.

Trent offered Mike his cone, and Mike pulled a bill out of his pocket and slapped it on the counter.

“That little girl is quite the heart stealer,” Trent said as he took the bill and made change.

Mike’s gaze moved toward Katy, whose mouth was already covered with blue ice cream. He couldn’t help but smile.

“Yeah, she’s a cutie.”

“Your life will never be the same,” Trent said wistfully. “I remember when my eldest was born—”

“No, no.” Mike cleared his throat and accepted the change the older man held out. “This is short-term.”

“Oh?” Trent’s brows raised, but he shrugged and let the topic drop. “Fair enough. Good seeing you, Mike.”

“Tell Rita I say hi.”

“Will do.”

Mike took his own cone to the far table where Malory and Katy waited, then slid into the chair opposite Malory. He was determined that this be short-term, but he found himself wondering what it would be like to keep Katy. If he had Malory here to help out—

No. He pushed the idea firmly aside. He’d thought this through already, and Malory was pregnant. That changed a lot of things, too. He’d been right before.

“This is really good.” Malory was already down to the cone, and she reached over and turned Katy’s ice cream to keep it from getting lopsided, then put it back into her hands again. “Eat fast, Katy,” she warned. “Or it will melt.”

Mike took a thoughtful bite of his cone, but the ice cream didn’t taste as good as it usually did to him. He didn’t know what his problem was. It wasn’t as though he’d known Malory before, or even as though he’d had plans to make something more of their relationship. But she’d held back an important detail that, while private, certainly factored into the job. And when he’d said that he preferred honesty, that was a blunt fact. He’d been lied to enough in his life, and he respected transparency.

“Look, Mike...” Malory said quietly once Katy was happily settled with her ice cream. “I’m sorry that I didn’t say anything earlier. I hope you understand. If it only affected me, I might have been more forthcoming, but I’m going to have a child to provide for.”

Mike nodded. “Yeah, I get it.”

Having Katy here was opening his eyes to a lot of things he’d never experienced—like the amount of worry that went into a child in his care.

“I didn’t think I’d be a single mom,” she admitted. “But life doesn’t always go according to plan.”

“You don’t have any support?” he asked. “What about the father?”

“Steve offered to pay for the abortion.”

Mike winced. “Ouch.”

What kind of a lowlife offered an abortion? He’d smack this Steve himself, given the chance.

“I could sue him for child support, true, but—” She sighed. “I’d just as well take care of my baby on my own and not have to deal with him.”

“What happened exactly?” he asked. This was moving very quickly toward the personal, and she’d already made it clear that she liked her privacy, so he added, “If you don’t mind me asking.”

“No, no, it’s fine.” She waved her hand through the air. “I was dating Steve for a couple of years. After he left me for my best friend, I found out I was pregnant. I never saw it coming—him leaving me, or the baby.”

“And you still told him?” He raised an eyebrow. That showed some strength right there, to give him the information at all after he’d dumped her so unceremoniously.

“It only seemed right to let him know that he had a child on the way,” she replied. “And, well, you know how he reacted. I suppose it’s just as well.”

“Is it?” he asked uncertainly. The thought of a man treating Malory that way boiled his blood, and he’d half hoped to see his own anger mirrored in her face, but all he saw there was resignation. Whoever this guy was, that kind of reaction to the news that he’d fathered a child was unforgivable in Mike’s eyes. A man stood up and took responsibility.

“My mom was on her own raising me, and she spent my entire childhood trying to rope in a husband.” She shook her head. “I swore I’d never do that. I might be a single mom, but I’m not going to make my mother’s mistake and think that some guy is going to rescue me. I’ll do this alone.”

Alone. So she’d already decided that she didn’t want a man in her life. Not that it should matter to him—

Mike nodded. “Fair enough.”

“And I wanted to thank you.” Her gaze met his earnestly. “You could have given me my walking papers, but you didn’t.”

“Well, I’m not that kind of guy,” he replied. It was more than that, though. Somehow, that information had sparked a protective instinct in him, and he wouldn’t have been able to fire her if he’d tried. “You’re here for Katy, and she really loves you already.”

Malory sucked in a breath and smiled, this time the sparkle hitting those brown eyes.

“And if you need help with anything—” Mike began.

“No.” Her tone was emphatic, and he bit back the last of his offer.

“No?” With no father around and no support network, he was surprised she’d turn down an offer of help.

She shook her head. “No. I’m serious. A job is enough. I can do this just fine by myself.”

Malory met his gaze evenly, her lips pressed into a thin line. She meant every word, he had no doubt.

“Okay,” he said with a nod. “I won’t intrude.”

She smiled. “Great. I think we’ll get along just fine.”

Mike took another bite of his cone. She was like no other woman he’d ever come across, but if she wanted her space, he could do that.

“Uh-oh, Nanny Mal.” Katy sighed, and they both looked over to find the top of her cone in her lap. She poked at the softened ice cream with one finger.

Malory took a pile of napkins and set to work cleaning up what she could. A smile turned up her lips as she looked into Katy’s forlorn little face. Then her honeyed hair fell down across her eyes, hiding them from his view.

She was certainly more appealing than Mrs. Doubtfire, he’d give her that.

* * *

THAT EVENING, MIKE sat downstairs, his feet up, emptying his brain with some sports on TV. Upstairs, the bathwater splashed in the tub, and soft voices carried down. There was something sweet about having women in the house, and he hated to admit that he liked the changes around here—the scent of perfume in the hallway, the pile of wet towels after Katy’s bath, the extra plates in the sink. It was funny how such mundane details could be comforting, too.

If the facts were different, he’d be tempted to keep this. His home would feel very empty once Katy—and therefore Malory—left, even though he was trying his best to keep his emotions back.

The phone rang and he pushed himself back up, reaching for the handset.

“Mike Cruise here.”

“Hello, Mr. Cruise, this is Elizabeth Nelson from the adoption agency. How are you?”

“I’m good.” He sank back into the couch and muted the TV. He’d been in contact with Ms. Nelson since the day Katy arrived, and he’d already filled out a large number of forms. “Thanks for getting back to me.”

“I’d love to come by and meet Katherine, if you’d be okay with that. We can start the process of finding her a family. How does that sound to you?”

“That sounds good,” he said quickly. “So how does this work, exactly?”

“Well, I come for a little home visit. Then we’ll make her file available to families who are looking for children. Sometimes these things take a long time. Sometimes they’re surprisingly quick. It’s all about finding the right match.” There was a pause. “But I have to be honest. Katherine is already three, and that will make finding a match a little more difficult. Most families are looking for infants.”

“Yeah, I get that,” he said.

“But that doesn’t make it impossible,” she hurried to add. “Your situation isn’t so rare. When there are deaths in a family or incarceration, there are often small children left behind without anyone to take them in. Another loving home is the best solution for everyone.”

A pang of guilt stabbed at Mike’s gut. Katy did have a family member, but Mike still wasn’t the best solution for the kid. “So the next step is a home visit?” he prompted.

“Yes, and I’d love to come by at your earliest convenience. I have next Tuesday afternoon open.”

“That could work,” Mike agreed.

“Say at one?”

“Perfect. We’ll be here.”

After a few more pleasantries, Mike hung up and his gaze moved toward the ceiling. Above, the plug was pulled, and the sound of water rushed through the pipes in the walls.

He’d miss this, much as he hated to admit it. He’d miss hearing laughter and bathwater. It was a silly thing to miss, but there it was. He’d never admit it out loud to anyone.

* * *

MALORY KNELT NEXT to her small charge in the middle of the floor, summer sunlight pooling on the tiles from the open bathroom window. A warm breeze pushed into the room, fluttering the white curtains. Next to them, the water drained slowly from the tub. Malory pulled the towel off Katy’s wet hair and picked up a brush.

“I don’t like that.” Katy shook her head adamantly and clamped her hands onto her head.

“Why not?” Malory asked, squatting down next to her. They’d encountered this before.

“It’s ouchie.”

“I put some special conditioner in your hair so it won’t hurt,” Malory said.

Katy didn’t answer but appeared to be thinking it over.

“What if I promise to be very, very careful? Will you let me brush your hair then?”

Tears filled Katy’s eyes and when Malory came toward her, she shied away in terror. Malory looked down at the brush, and the horrible thought struck her that someone might have used a brush to punish the tiny girl in the past.

“Okay, okay...” Malory put the brush behind her and pushed it across the floor. “No brush. Would you let me touch your hair with my fingers?”

Katy complied to that request, and Malory detangled the toddler’s hair as best she could using her fingers as combs. Whatever this child had been through, it would take a lot of love and patience to win her trust again.

“What story do you want before bed, sweetie?” Malory asked as she worked on a knot.

“I want him to read it.”

“You mean Uncle Mike?” Malory asked.

Katy nodded.

“Well, why don’t you go choose a book from my bag and then you can ask him.” Malory smiled as the little girl scampered off toward Malory’s bedroom. Some scuffles and thumps filtered through the wall as Malory picked up the towels and wiped up the puddles on the floor. The brush lay next to the tub, and she picked it up, sadness piercing her heart.

“What did they do to you?” she whispered, then dropped the brush into a drawer.

By the time she was finished making the bathroom presentable again, Katy stood in the doorway, a book clutched against her chest.

“Got one!” she announced.

“Okay, let’s go find Uncle Mike.”

She’d have to fill Mike in on these developments. Maybe he could arrange some therapy for Katy. She’d need help healing from her trauma.

Katy traipsed down the stairs dressed in a nightgown, damp at the shoulders from her wet hair. When Malory caught up in the living room, she faltered. Mike sat on the couch with his feet up, the TV on a sports channel. His T-shirt tugged at his muscled chest and arms, and from the angle where Malory stood, she could see the stubble on his chin.

“Go ahead,” Malory said quietly.

Mike looked up when he heard Malory’s voice, and Katy moved forward, her book held over her chest like a shield.

“Uncle Mike?” she whispered.

“Yes, Katy?” He flicked off the TV and dropped the remote. Katy crept closer until she stood right in front of him.

“Uncle Mike?” she repeated breathlessly, then thrust the book out in front of her, smacking him solidly in the kneecaps.

“Ouch.” He chuckled. “Do you want me to read that to you?”

She nodded but didn’t make a move.

“Do you want to come sit next to me?” he asked.

Katy considered for a moment, then lifted her arms toward him. “Up,” she said.

Mike glanced up at Malory uncertainly, then gently lifted the small girl up onto his lap. She pulled her knees up and settled against him, her head tipped toward his chest. Mike’s expression softened, and Malory thought she saw his eyes mist, but she couldn’t be sure, because he blinked quickly, cleared his throat and opened the book.

“Okay,” he said. “This book is called Lippity Loppity the Bunny.”

“Who’s that?” Katy asked, pointing at the picture.

“Um...” Mike looked closer. “My guess is Lippity Loppity.”

“Okay.” She put her head back against his chest and heaved a deep sigh.

“‘One day, Lippity Loppity the little bunny hopped away from his cozy burrow toward the big woods,’” Mike read.

“Is Lippity Loppity a girl bunny?” Katy asked.

“I think he’s a boy.”

“I don’t like that. Lippity Loppity is a girl.”

“Oh.” Mike glanced up at Malory again, humor glimmering in his eyes. “Okay. I must have gotten it wrong. Let’s keep reading.” He turned the page. “‘Lippity Loppity’s mother told him’—I mean, her—‘that the woods were no place for small bunnies to go alone, but Lippity Loppity didn’t listen.’”

“Where is the mommy?” Katy asked.

“I don’t see her in the picture,” Mike said.

“What’s she like?”

Mike glanced toward Malory with alarm, and she understood his discomfort. This was difficult territory considering that Katy’s mother was in prison, but she needed to believe in warmth and love, even if her life experience hadn’t included the kind of stability she craved. Malory shrugged, giving him a sympathetic smile. This one was his call.

“Well, I think she would be warm and snuggly,” Mike said.

“Oh.” Katy considered this.

“‘Inside the woods—’” Mike began.

“Does Lippity Loppity have a daddy?” Malory asked.

Mike flipped forward in the story, scanning each page. When he reached the end, he flipped back to the page they were on and shrugged. “It doesn’t seem to say.”

“But do you know?” she asked earnestly. “Does she have a daddy?”

“Everyone has a daddy somewhere,” Mike said quietly. His gaze flickered toward Malory again, and she felt a soft flutter within. She put a hand on her belly. Mike was right. Everyone did have a daddy, even if that daddy didn’t want her. How did you explain that to a child? Sadness welled up inside Malory. She knew the fatherless feeling all too well, and unfortunately, so would her baby.

“Are you my daddy, Uncle Mike?” Katy asked, big blue eyes fixed on Mike’s rugged face.

“I, um—” Mike cleared his throat. “No, Katy, I’m not your daddy.”

“Oh.” Katy’s whole frame sank down in disappointment, and while Mike read the rest of the story, her glum expression didn’t change.

“‘And Lippity Loppity never went near the woods again,’” Mike read. “‘The end.’”

Katy didn’t speak, nor did she lift her head.

“Is she sleeping?” Mike whispered.

“No.” Malory slid off her seat and moved next to Mike on the couch. Katy looked up at Malory dismally.

“What’s the matter, sweetie?” Malory asked quietly.

Katy didn’t answer and likely couldn’t put her thoughts into words. She was too young to grapple with the harshness of her reality. Malory held out her arms.

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