Lani's Makeshift Family Page 6

  She should run, but she didn’t.

  Nick touched beneath her chin with a finger, tilting her head upward. He ran a finger along her temples, taking strands of hair from her face to tuck delicately into the ribbon behind.

  Oh my, now she knew what the term swoon meant.

  When he resumed his finger’s journey along her hairline, he stopped.

  Lani’s heart jerked in her chest. His touch had just started her pulse to gallop and then…. She leaned back, knowing she couldn’t hide her questioning look. What had happened?

  “Damn it, Cabot—”

  That did it. She pulled free and stepped back. “My name is Lani!” She hated the schoolgirl tone of her voice but the surprise of Nick pulling away still reeled inside. Partly, her anger was fueled by the embarrassment that she had let him kiss her.

  Even if they were living in the same cabin, Nick Hunter was a stranger and not her type. She couldn’t forget his comment about the girls being adopted. He probably just kissed her to get a reaction. Well, she’d show him her reaction! She slapped his hand away when he reached toward her.

  He stepped forward and grabbed both of her hands.

  She pulled to free herself, but couldn’t.

  “Wait a minute, Cabot.”

  Her struggle weakened against his strength.

  “Let me feel your forehead.”

  “What?” She wasn’t prepared for Nick Hunter going weird. He’d started out so sensual, but the switch to asking to feel her forehead? With a yank, she freed herself. Turning, she started to leave.

  Nick grabbed her shoulders.

  “Stop it! Let me go—”

  He spun her around and pushed his hand against her forehead. She stumbled back, but he caught her in a protective hold. “Damn it, Cabot! Stay still!”

  She smacked at his arm, but his hand remained pressed against her forehead. She knew they looked comical with her slapping wildly at his arm and him pushing his hand against her forehead, but she didn’t find any humor in this situation.

  “Stop that damned hitting me!”

  “You stop cursing, and let me go…” Nick pulled back, giving Lani full view of the forest around him. She blinked several times as the dizzy feeling returned. The trees danced about like the ones in the Haunted Forest of The Wizard of Oz. Her stomach flipped inside, and nausea rose up her throat. To steady herself, she grasped for Nick’s arm.

  “You’re burning up, Cabot. What the hell is wrong?”

  “I’m just…” She stumbled forward.

  Nick reached out and caught her. She could see concern in his face, in the depths of his eyes, the way his mouth frowned—then he turned fuzzy. She blinked. A prickly feeling ran along both of her arms. Nick wobbled from side to side. If he didn’t stop, she’d get sick all over him. “Nick, please stay still—”

  “I’m not moving….”

  He leaned forward, but his face blurred. She widened her glare to see Nick swallowed up in a cloud of haze, seconds before her face slammed into his chest.

  Chapter Five

  “Cabot! Hey, what the hell…damn it!” Lani’s slender body slumped against his. He lifted her limp form into his arms. Her eyes remained shut, her cheeks glowed like an apple kissed by the fall sun. But Lani’s color wasn’t from the sun. By the feel of her forehead, he knew a fever burned inside her. Just what he needed to add to the miserable situation—but she did need him right now.

  He paused. He should have carried Donna….

  Pulling his thoughts to the woman in his arms, he made his way down the dirt path toward the cabin. Branches reached out to tangle in her hair so he pulled her closer. A light rhythm of her heart beat against his chest where his jacket remained open, but the rate seemed too fast, obviously caused by the fever. He knew she hadn’t looked right this morning, but she wouldn’t admit that she was sick. Stubborn woman. She’d pushed herself, probably to take care of her kids. He didn’t blame her for not trusting him, not the way he’d acted. No one in their right mind would want him taking care of their kids.

  But now Lani gave him no choice.

  The soft fullness of her breasts pressed into his chest. His legs weakened, and he stumbled on a rock near the front yard. Hell, what was wrong with him? He couldn’t keep noticing things like this. Why the hell be secluded in the wilderness if you have to put up with temptation like this? Growling, he eased her body away from his, careful not to drop her and made his way up the steps. With a force that should have made a hole in the wood, he kicked the door with his foot, and went inside. He paused. No crying. Thank goodness his fury hadn’t wakened the babies.

  Nick put Lani on the bed in the spare room. A sigh escaped her lips, but she remained passed out. Damn, as if he didn’t have enough trouble already. Now he had to take care of a sick woman. A woman who felt hot to his touch—and not just from the fever. He didn’t have a thermometer, but he really didn’t need one. Lifting her into a sitting position, he pulled off the parka.

  She moaned and opened her eyes. Through a glassy stare, she gave Nick a weak smile. “What…happened?”

  “You conked out on me, Cabot.”

  She paused and mumbled. “The girls?”

  “Fine.”

  “Wrong. What is wrong with…”

  “You’ve got a—”

  She tried to pull away, and promptly fell backwards. “Got a what?” she mumbled.

  “Fever, Cabot. You must have picked up some—”

  Her eyes shut again. Like a child’s doll, her head flopped against his arm. He eased her back, but he’d put her down so fast, he didn’t realize she’d made the bed with the quilt on top. Gently, he pushed her to the side to pull the cover from beneath. Skin, pale creamy pink and flawless, caught his attention when her shirt slid up to reveal her waist.

  For a second, he stared. How he wanted to touch her. Touch a woman. It’d been so long. The feel of her lips against his still lingered as if reminding him what he could have. He cursed to himself for gawking at an unconscious woman. Either he’d sunk to a new low in his miserable existence, or self-imposed celibacy wasn’t as easy as he’d thought.

  Angry at his shaking hands, Nick sucked in a breath and reached to cover Lani. With a roll to the other side, he managed to pull the quilt from beneath her, shoved it toward her feet and slipped only a sheet over her.

  Stepping back, he paused.

  A gentle breathing sound came from her lips. She’d turned to the side and pulled up her legs. The ribbon she’d used to keep every hair in its precise place had come undone, allowing honey-colored strands to fan out across the pillow.

  He lifted her head and removed the ribbon. Holding it near, he inhaled the spicy fragrance of his shampoo that on Lani had taken on a sweet scent. She must have used it sometime this morning. Her body’s chemistry must have given the shampoo a sweet fragrance to the spicy mix. He tucked the ribbon into his jacket pocket and a band tightened across his chest. Was it really years since he took care of a woman? Touched a woman? Like this? With eyes shut, he damned his luck.

  He opened his eyes, almost hoping this had all been a dream. But not three feet away, Lani rested peacefully, so he decided to check on the babies. Nick tiptoed into the twins’ room, hoping the girls would remain asleep so he could get a drink. He needed one. Ana curled in her drawer with a small brown bear tucked beneath her arm. He smiled at his knowing the difference that one had the straight hair and the other curls.

  Leave it to Lani Cabot to make a crib from the bottom drawers of a dresser. For a second, he stared at the little ones in this getup. Wait. There had to be a crib in the shed. He made a mental note to go look for it. Alexa’s gurgling snore said he could steal a few minutes to himself before all hell broke loose. He shut the door behind him, wondering what next.

  First, fate sent a woman and babies to invade his privacy, and now she was passed out cold on a bed in his place—and it looked as if she was going to be there for a while. He guessed she must have picked up the fl
u or some bug in the freezing rain the other night. Oh geez, what if the kids got sick too? With a groan, he realized his drink would have to wait. He slipped off his work boots and silently re-opened the door to the girls’ room. He had to know if fate was planning a triple whammy.

  He touched his forehead with one hand and Alexa’s with the other. Same. Thank God. Using the identical technique, he mumbled a curse when the temperature of Ana’s skin felt somewhere between his and Lani’s. Damn. He couldn’t be sure if she was getting sick, but the baby felt warmer than her sister did. His gaze narrowed. So far her coloring looked okay. He’d have to watch her.

  Actually, keeping them together didn’t seem like a good idea. Against his wishes, and forcing down the need for a swig of Jack Daniel’s, he lifted Alexa’s drawer and carried it into his room. Everyone was separated. He’d wait and see—and let fate either dump on him once again or maybe give him a break this time.

  The baby gave him a sleepy stare as her little eyelids fluttered open, and then a wail of protest followed.

  Oh God, not now. He scooped her up. “Hey, kiddo, calm down. It’s me, Nick.” She continued her bellows until he took her to the mirror. “Look at the baby.” He pointed toward her reflection, made his best comical face that always had gotten Nicky laughing, and resorted to a one-handed game of peek-a-boo until she quieted.

  A lone tear worked its way along her chubby cheek. She gurgled, blew a saliva bubble, and wriggled in his hold. Her bottom felt heavy. Oh great, she had a soaked diaper.

  “Hang on, kiddo.” He took Alexa into the living room and set her in the playpen. Obviously, she couldn’t care less about the diaper as she scooped up a block and giggled. How tempting to leave her there. He poured a shot of whisky, knowing he couldn’t let her wear the wet diaper for long. “Damn it,” he mumbled out of Alexa’s earshot. He added another swigful to his glass, downed it, and lifted up the baby. “Let’s not wake Ana yet.” He tiptoed down the hallway into the spare bedroom.

  Obviously, Lani had started to put away the kids’ clothes because he couldn’t find a thing in all the organization. The task should have been easy, since the drawer looked as if she had color-coded everything. Finally, he found the middle drawer full of diapers. It had been years, but he felt confident that he could get this kid dry and happy.

  Wrong.

  Alexa wiggled like a salmon on the dresser as Nick tried to get the dry diaper under her. Once he had it in position, he hurried to snatch the tape from the back part. His gaze caught a container of powder on the dresser. Like a chef adding Parmesan cheese to a pizza, Nick sprinkled Alexa’s bottom powdery white. He paused, shut his eyes while holding a protective hand over her belly and inhaled the baby scent.

  “She’ll get a rash in the folds of her legs if you do that! That’s far too much powder. In my book it says….”

  Nick’s eyes flew open to see a deathly pale Lani hovering near the door. “Get back to bed before you fall.” He yanked the tape so tight it ripped off in his hand. “You can’t take care of babies with a stupid book.”

  Lani coughed, the sound deep and raspy like a smoker with emphysema. “Now look what—” A fit of coughing interrupted. “—look what you did! We need…the…dry diapers. And I’ve learned…a lot from my book.” The hand covering her mouth muffled her words as she attempted to march toward him, yet stumbled in her feverish state.

  “Sit down before you fall and crack your head open, Cabot. I don’t do sutures. And move your hand, I can’t understand you.”

  She moved away her hand and let out a wet cough.

  He flipped his face from her. “Aim that in the other direction before you make all of us sick.” With a stretch to one side, he opened the desk drawer and grabbed the invisible tape. Taking a long piece, he fastened the diaper and lifted up Alexa.

  Stifling a groan, Lani flopped backward on the bed. “I only came to help.” What little energy she had turned to amazement, watching him fix the diaper. She would have thrown it out, and they couldn’t afford to waste them. He made taking care of her daughter look easy.

  “Oh, yeah, you’d be a wonder helping out. Now get back to bed.”

  “But…the girls—” Her whole body ached but she had to protest.

  “We’ll manage, but if you get any sicker…we may have to feed your carcass to the bears. Now keep it down,” he whispered.

  He scooped up Alexa so fast, Lani’s head spun watching. She pushed herself up on her elbows and watched Nick take Alexa from the room. She had no doubt he could manage the babies’ daily maintenance, but they needed more. Children needed love and plenty of attention. She had visions of the poor babies locked in the playpen like a miniature corral all day long. They’d never get any exercise, and they needed to be cuddled.

  Nick certainly didn’t seem the cuddly type.

  Pain burned in her chest as she coughed so deeply she felt sure something had popped inside her lungs. She needed to rest, she admitted to herself, as she peeked at the baby. Ana slept soundly near the bed so Lani tiptoed out, supporting herself on the wall.

  On her way back to her room, she’d just check once more on Alexa. Her fears were confirmed. The baby sat alone in the playpen, busying herself with the blocks. No Nick around. She knew he wouldn’t hold the babies any more than necessary. A wave of nausea sent her grabbing for the couch. Steadying herself, she tried to clear her thoughts. She was in no condition to care for the girls, so she’d have to let Nick do it. Hopefully, she’d be better soon. She had to be. She was their mother. They needed her.

  What time was it anyway? Lani blinked to clear her vision enough to see the clock. Four o’clock! The day had slipped by. Ana was taking too long of a nap it seemed.

  Lani started down the hallway, but a grumbling in her stomach sent her racing to the bathroom. She made it just in time, but after a few heaves, her body tingled, and her legs felt like marshmallow. Soft, squishy white. Oh shoot, the thought made her stomach flip. She had to lie down. She’d check on Ana in a minute, but first, she had to rest but only a few seconds. Collapsing on the bed in her room, Lani’s eyes shut and darkness descended.

  ****

  Nick dug through the pile of furniture in the shed until he found the crib. The baby bed had been refinished so many times, despite the dust cover, it looked brand new. He’d put the last coat of stain on it for Emma. His sweet Emma. With no time to feel sorry for himself, he lifted the parts of the crib over his shoulder and headed to check on the babies.

  “Hey, kiddo, I’ll be right back,” Nick said to Alexa as he passed through the living room. In the spare bedroom, he leaned the crib pieces against the wall and went to check on Ana.

  She lay quietly in her drawer, her eyes open, but watery. The base of her nose shone, and he knew she’d been rubbing it by the redness. Damn it. He’d noticed earlier that she was the quieter of the two, but now he knew—Ana must have what Lani started.

  “Rest for a few minutes, sweetie. Nick’s gonna make you a more comfortable bed.” After a string of curses, he had the crib together and retrieved the mattress from the shed. He had no idea if there was a sheet to fit it and not wanting to waste time, used a full size one, pinning it as best he could beneath the mattress where Ana couldn’t reach.

  Damn. This really didn’t get any easier.

  He changed her diaper and laid her into the crib. Ana hugged her bear and rolled to her side. He could tell she didn’t have much energy, but he put a few toys in with her in case she felt up to playing. Knowing she was safe, he went to see Alexa.

  Nick eased the door to Lani’s room open a crack. He didn’t want to scare her, and he sure as hell didn’t want to see her sleeping in some revealing position.

  No worry about that.

  Lani sprawled across the bed like a drunkard. Her arms fanned out over the pillows. Her honey-colored hair looked more like wilted straw tousled over the pillow, her face, and the bunched-up pile of blankets next to her. Although he had no fondness for the spunky woman,
he’d never tell her the sawing of her snoring grated like from the mouth of a three-hundred-pound man—sleeping on his back. Somehow he knew Lani Cabot would not want to know she snored. Unfortunately, her face glowed redder than Rudolph’s nose as the fever raged on. He’d have to get her to choke down some aspirin. Damn, she still looked beautiful.

  A beautiful woman living in his cabin.

  He leaned against the doorframe for a second, a knot tightening his gut. How could the pain of two years ago return as if yesterday? How could life get so hard? How could life change in minutes?

  Leaving the door open a crack in case he needed to hear her, he went into the living room.

  “Guess it’s just you and me, kiddo,” he said to Alexa. She giggled. Nick leaned over the playpen railing and covered a small ball with a block. He lined up two blocks next to it. “You a gambling woman, Lex?”

  Her baby coos brought a smile to his lips. “Okay, find the ball.” Chubby fingers grabbed at the red block, lifting it to reveal the ball. “Hey, great job!”

  She laughed along with him and started to cover and uncover the ball with the block—hundreds of times.

  “Guess you’re busy enough for now.” Nick walked toward the shelf and poured himself another drink. When the glass touched his lips, Alexa giggled. He licked his mouth, but set the glass down, without taking a sip.

  After pouring the liquor back into the bottle, he collapsed onto the couch. The pain in his heart seemed to be numbed. Listening to the happy baby sounds Alexa made became easier—even without Jack Daniel’s help.

  After a fast cigarette out on the porch, Nick made his rounds. Lani slept peacefully, although her snoring could have woken the dead. Ana’s eyes were tightly shut, her bear clutched close to her side. He leaned near to be sure her breathing sounded normal before he headed to check on Alexa.

  In the living room, he stopped to watch. The baby busied herself with the blocks. “Hey, kiddo. You’re getting pretty good at stacking.”

  Her wet giggle sent a warmth to the pit of his stomach. “Yeah, you’ll be all right by yourself. Nick’s gonna make some soup for your mom.” He leaned forward and stuck several blocks on top of each other.