Lani's Makeshift Family Page 4

  Both girls screamed, obviously unhappy with their mother.

  “Give her to me!” Nick grabbed for the twin under Lani’s arm. The baby quieted in his hold. He wiped a lone tear from the chubby cheek as wide brown eyes stared. The same color eyes as Emma’s. His heart twisted.

  “Oh, thank you. I thought they were going to fall.”

  “Brilliant deduction. What the hell were you trying to do?” Nick set the baby into the highchair.

  “That.” Lani pointed to the baby staring at them from her seat. She refused to admit that she felt as exhausted now as if she hadn’t slept for days. “I was trying to do that, but I couldn’t get the tray loose and the girls squirm so—”

  “Why didn’t you just put one down?”

  Lani shook her head. “I thought she’d get into trouble—”

  “Not as much trouble as smashing into the floor would have caused.”

  A glassy film dulled the green of Lani’s eyes. If she started to cry…he couldn’t take it. Women’s tears always got to him. How the hell had she gotten them to look so healthy and happy in what must have been about a year if she acted like this? Her husband must be the one with all the knowledge of kids.

  “I wouldn’t have dropped either girl.” She stomped toward the table and held the baby as if looking for a place to set her.

  Nick smiled to himself. She had no idea what to do with the other twin. He wasn’t going to tell her about the playpen in the living room, yet. He just couldn’t share everything at once.

  The baby in the highchair tugged at Nick’s shirt. He looked down and reached for the plump hand. She wrapped a tiny finger around his—he shut his eyes for a second and felt the warm softness. “Who’s this one?”

  “Her name is Ana. They do look an awful lot alike, but Ana has the straight hair. That’s how I tell them apart.”

  Tell them apart? She sounded as if she needed to brand their foreheads to keep them straight. He’d have thought after living with her twins for a year, she’d know the difference by their personalities. Even after a few minutes, he could tell Alexa, pulling strands of hair from Lani’s ribbon, was the more active of the two. And Lani didn’t like her hair out of place. He watched her try to tuck the strands back while balancing the baby on her hip.

  The twins started to howl in unison.

  Damn, he’d been so busy studying Lani Cabot’s mothering techniques, he forgot the babies hadn’t eaten. “There’s a playpen in the living room,” he said over his shoulder as he stepped toward the door.

  “Playpen? Why didn’t you….”

  With the closing door, his voice faded—as did his chuckle.

  ****

  Lani placed Alexa in the wooden playpen. From what she’d read, the slats were a little too far apart. But, at this age, her girls were big enough not to get a head stuck in between, a foot or hand maybe. That had to be safer than letting them crawl around in this cabin.

  She dragged the playpen near the door toward the kitchen to have both girls in sight. A few steps took her across the kitchen but still in baby-view. She opened the refrigerator door and stared. It had been stocked with milk and plenty of food. Nick must have unpacked all of it last night before she…

  A pang of guilt stabbed at her when she thought of how she’d hit him with the lamp. Although he smoked, cursed, probably drank too much, and bordered on being inhospitable, she never got the impression he was any kind of threat.

  Something deep inside Nick Hunter drove his brusque actions, she was sure of it. He’d slipped a few times, like when he placed the flashlight down—gently. And she noticed him hold Ana’s hand if only for a second. A pained look had filled his eyes when he’d opened them. She’d give him credit for putting out his cigarette when he saw that she had one of the girls in the kitchen with her.

  Nick Hunter was an interesting man.

  But she had no interest in a man right now. None at all. Her plate was full enough with the girls.

  She took out two eggs and found a bowl to scramble them in. Staring at one egg in her hand, she realized she should use fresh food sparingly. Who knew how long they would be stuck in this cabin?

  Nick’s cursing took Lani’s thoughts from the eggs. She looked out the back window to see him kicking the tires of his Jeep. The poor car sat rim deep in mud while Nick swore a string of curse words as if that would get the Jeep to move. He wouldn’t be driving it for some time.

  He turned and caught her staring.

  Lani set down the bowl and opened the window further. “Would you like to join us for breakfast?”

  His lips curled.

  She felt sure his raised eyebrows gave her the answer. “Maybe tomorrow.” She shut the window and returned to her job of feeding the girls.

  Ana ate her eggs without spilling the dish. Alexa had a time getting handfuls of eggs into her mouth. Lani leaned forward to wipe the baby’s mouth after each fistful. An action that annoyed Alexa even more. She only wanted her kept clean, but suddenly Alexa revolted and a wad of scrambled eggs sailed from her mouth, landing on Lani’s chest.

  Before she could register her complaint, a deep chuckle skyrocketing to a hearty laugh filled the kitchen. Lani turned to see Nick, standing in the doorway.

  His shoulders shook, he clapped his hands a few times, and a sparkle glistened in his warm brown eyes—but only for a second. He continued to laugh.

  “She’s only learning how to eat by herself.”

  “Then let her eat in peace. Kids get messy when they are learning—”

  “I know that.”

  Nick leaned against the doorframe and asked, “How old are they?”

  “Thirteen months.”

  “Seems like a one year old should be able to handle finger foods, or have you babied them too much?”

  Lani tightened her grip on the table, or she’d have slung a handful of eggs at Nick Hunter. “No, I haven’t babied them. How could I have taught them anything in only a few weeks?”

  He raised an eyebrow.

  Oh right, she’d never told him the girls were adopted. Actually, the matter was none of his business. Not that she was ashamed of adopting her daughters, but her ex-husband’s words still haunted her. Throw-away kids, he’d called them. When Lani had her surgery, he said he’d never raise anyone else’s throw-aways.

  Ana giggled. What a glorious sound. Lani looked into Ana’s warm brown eyes and Lani’s heart swelled with pride—and protection. Even though every minute with the babies was still a frightening experience, they were hers, and she’d never let anyone call them anything like that.

  “What happened? Have you worked since they were born and your hubby had to raise them?”

  Nick’s words interrupted her thoughts. Lani wiped her hands on a dishtowel then stood and faced Nick. She dropped her voice to a whisper, “I’ve taken a six-month leave of absence from my accounting job to raise my girls.” She stepped closer. “I’ve only been their mother for two weeks.”

  Nick leaned back.

  If she could have scooped up the girls quickly, she would have, and left him with unanswered questions. Ana was busy eating, and Alexa had two fistfuls of eggs. One glance at them told her she couldn’t interrupt their meal. “I’ve adopted my girls from Russia.”

  Nick froze.

  His expression was unreadable. Obviously, he was appalled that she had adopted someone’s throw-always, too.

  “That’s commendable, Lani.”

  Commendable! He made it sound as if she adopted them to get some brownie points or some consolation prize. His tone grated on her nerves and sent her pulse racing. If she thought she had a headache from the drink last night, now her temples pounded. “There’s nothing commendable about it. I love my girls.”

  “I’m sure you do. And your husband must, too—”

  “Ex.”

  Nick moved forward and he touched her arm. “Hey, sorry.”

  She wished he hadn’t. Although his touch was light, she could feel him through the
material of her shirt—feel his hand on her arm as though her skin were naked. The sensation was too intense for a casual touch. Nick Hunter’s contact could not be allowed to make her so aware of him—his musk scent, the fullness of his lips, the slight arch of his right eyebrow.

  She swallowed and forced her thoughts to clear, as if erasing the sensations was as easy as pressing delete on a computer’s keyboard. But it wasn’t, and she didn’t even know if he was married. Not that knowing would matter. She could never be attracted to someone like him. Well, physically, of course. Who wouldn’t be captivated by the depths of his mahogany eyes? And the slight smug look, that most often came across as sensual and not conceited. No, Nick Hunter didn’t look as if he realized or would care about how good looking he was. But that was only the surface.

  She could never be attracted to such an opposite. He was messy, she bordered on obsessive on the subject of cleaning. Their language certainly contrasted. She’d never heard such cursing, except maybe in the movies. Then there was his comment about adoption… Why was she even thinking of all that? In a few days, they’d certainly be rescued.

  “So, there’s no Mr. Cabot in your life?”

  “Cabot is my maiden name. I took it back after the divorce.”

  He stared as if she were under a microscope, again. If she knotted her hands any tighter, she’d probably weld them together. She had to change the subject. Nick Hunter had no right to prod her like this and no right to her private life. “So where’s Mrs. Hunter?”

  “Dead.”

  Chapter Four

  Dead.

  A chill ran over her skin. Oh my God, changing the focus off of herself certainly had backfired.

  Nick slammed the back door on his way out of the kitchen, causing her to jump. She took a deep breath then silently stroked the spot on her arm where he’d touched. She could still feel his warmth. A hollowness in her heart made her wish she’d never asked him about his wife. What a horrible thing to happen to someone so young. Nick had to be in his early thirties.

  Death was hard at any age. Since the age of nine, her father’s death had left an emptiness in her life. At fifty-nine, he’d been much older than her mother when Lani was born. She knew firsthand what having an older parent was like. He hadn’t spent much time with her, and had little energy to run and play with a child. That had been the driving force for her to adopt the girls before she was too old. Some days, being twenty-nine did feel too old to keep up with toddlers. Today was one of them.

  She yawned. The decision had been the scariest one of her life, but she would never regret adopting her little girls, even if they would not have a father. She didn’t have the time to wait for Mr. Right and the tradition of getting married to become a parent. After her hysterectomy two years ago, she feared she was doomed to be childless. Her suggestion of adoption had been the beginning of the end of her marriage.

  She and Stephen never belonged together. They’d had too many problems in their lives—and children wouldn’t have helped.

  Some men seemed to have different views of adoption. A fact she’d learned from her ex-husband, and Nick’s cutting remark showed he felt the same. She noticed how he avoided her daughters, and he sure hadn’t wanted to hold Ana before. Obviously, he couldn’t accept someone else’s children either.

  Rubbing her arm again, she thought of the look in Nick’s eyes after her words had him say that his wife was dead. By his pained look, he must have loved her. Love had a way of causing havoc in people’s lives. She’d loved Stephen at first, too. Even after a painful divorce, Lani missed being married. She liked having someone to share her joys and sorrows, although her ex-husband had caused more sorrow than joy. But Nick had no choice. His wife was taken from him, and by the way he’d acted, it had to have been tough.

  Ana squirmed and pounded the tray as if she wanted out of her seat. Lani wiped the baby’s face and hands and lifted her out of the highchair. For a second, she held the little girl, saying a thankful prayer to be so lucky to have adopted the twins. She wondered if Nick had any children. If he did, who was taking care of them?

  Alexa had made a mess in the playpen with the eggs. Lani should have predicted that. Would she ever learn all this mothering stuff? “I see from now on, young lady, you’re going to sit in the highchair and let Ana eat in here.” The girls made happy baby sounds as Lani took them into the bedroom. They’d made similar sounds the past few days that made Lani nearly cry for joy. She’d noticed they were adjusting to their new life so quickly—hopefully, she’d adjust to motherhood soon as well.

  The two darlings nuzzled her neck from each side. Every once in awhile, they’d give her a little whine as if she held them too tightly. She was doing her damnedest, but learning to be a mother was not the easiest thing she’d ever done.

  Not knowing how many more days they’d be at Nick’s cabin, she placed the girls on the carpet and gave them some toys from her bag so she could straighten out the room. After a quick check for light cords or other potential dangers, she assured herself the area was safe and started to clean.

  Most of the drawers were empty except for the bottom ones, and those she was using as cribs. Folding the clothing she’d spilled out from her bag, she set it all back into another drawer. When she bent forward, the room spun. She grabbed the dresser, and the sensation stopped. Obviously, she was hungry.

  The girls played happily, Lexi more active yet remaining where Lani had set her and Ana watching her sister most of the time. Lani sat on the bed for a second. Getting off her feet felt so good, she leaned back, easing her body to the mattress. How tired she was, since she’d not gotten a very good night’s sleep.

  A chill passed through her when she remembered falling asleep on Nick’s shoulder. Déjà vu had her inhaling his scent of musk. The phantom fragrance sent a stirring through her as if Nick stood near. She shook her head and leaned against the pillow. She only needed to rest her eyes for a second. The girls continued their giggling. Her heavy eyelids felt good when she closed them, and she’d hear if the babies moved off their blanket. Soon, their giggles seemed to come from a distance. That’s okay because she could still hear them. She sighed and turned on her side, hugging her pillow.

  “Cabot! What the hell are you doing?”

  Lani’s eyes flew open, panic beating her heart fast.

  Nick stood in the doorway, holding Ana and Alexa in his arms. Alexa’s face was totally white.

  Lani jumped up, the room spun, and she collapsed back onto the bed. “Is she all right?” Oh God, what had happened? Was Alexa hurt because of her?

  “It’s just powder. Why the hell did you let them loose?”

  Anger welled inside, along with nausea, which she forced down. But her fury at Nick’s accusation and the fact that he kept referring to the girls as if they were little puppies spilled over. “I didn’t let them loose! I merely closed my eyes for a second. They were playing nicely—”

  “It’s noon, Cabot.”

  “What? It can’t be!” Her words sounded as horrified as she felt. How could it be noon? She started fixing the room right after breakfast, nine-thirty at the latest. Pulling up the sleeve of her shirt, she glared down at her watch. Noon. Oh…my…God.

  “Do you know what kind of trouble they could have gotten into? Chemicals, electric cords—”

  With a slow movement, she waved away his words. The sun must be beating down on the cabin because the air was sweltering in the room. Lani pushed herself to sit.

  Alexa grabbed at Nick’s hair. It startled him, but he didn’t jump or act surprised as she did when the baby pulled her hair. Nick gave the baby a smile.

  He held them like two sacks of potatoes, but it was a confident hold not as if he’d drop them. “Nick, do you have children—”

  “No!”

  He turned and walked out so fast, Lani felt a breeze.

  “They’ll be in their playpen—where it’s safe,” he called from the hallway.

  If she could summon the
energy, she’d throw a pillow at him. But even after a nap, she couldn’t manage the retaliation.

  ****

  Nick eased the babies into the playpen and gave the area a fast safety check. Nothing harmful within arm’s reach. He headed toward the kitchen and yanked open the back door. Cool mountain air blasted him, and he inhaled the clean scent of pine. The bright sunlight masked the damage from the storm. The scene looked like a beautiful, rustic setting with naked tree branches crisscrossing through the forest, allowing the sun’s rays to gleam like lasers to the sparsely covered ground—not like the prison the weather had locked him in with Lani.

  He dropped down into a rocker and took out a cigarette. As he lit it, his arms felt as if he still held soft little babies. How many nights had he held Nick Jr. and Emma like that? Nicky, as he liked to call him against Donna’s wishes, was a complacent child next to his sister. Emma squirmed from the day she was born. He knew she would have been a terror when let loose.

  Donna. Not only was having Lani Cabot around an annoying and constant reminder of females, but also her question about having children tore deep into his heart. He’d been yanked from his seclusion, his hideaway from the past by having her and her daughters in his cabin.

  And that situation hurt. He’d never lived with any other woman before Donna. As high school sweethearts, neither dated anyone else, and they’d celebrated college graduation and their engagement at the same party.

  Not much bothered Donna, and he knew Nicky got his complacent attitude from his mother. She was a great mother and wife… He slammed his hand on the chair’s arm and inhaled the cigarette deeply. Smoke burned into his lungs.

  He’d never intended to open this door in his heart ever again.

  “Thank you for…helping with the babies, Nick,” Lani said from behind.

  He continued rocking with his back to her.

  “I cleaned up the mess of powder. Thank goodness that’s all it was,” she said.

  “They could have gotten hurt…or worse—”