Family Secrets Page 6

  Nicky stopped in mid-shriek and stared at her.

  “That’s a dandy tantrum,” she said. “I’m impressed. But I’ve got things to do this morning, so I’m afraid you’ll have to put off the rest of the screaming for a while. As soon as you’re dry, you may have oatmeal with fruit, or toast and peanut butter, or an egg for breakfast.”

  “I want a chocolate doughnut.” His lower lip was thrust out, but he spoke quietly.

  “If that’s the only thing that will satisfy you, you’re not so awfully hungry after all.” Amanda reached for her blow-dryer.

  By the time he was covered with lotion again and dressed in another of Amanda’s tee-shirts, he’d decided that toast and peanut butter would be acceptable. He sat at the breakfast bar, with his chin hardly above the edge, and picked the crust off his toast.

  Amanda watched from the corner of her eye as she loaded dirty glasses into the dishwasher. “Did your nanny honestly let you eat chocolate doughnuts for breakfast?”

  He nodded. “With cocoa, too. I like cocoa.” His voice was hopeful.

  No wonder the child was impossible sometimes, she thought. With all that chocolate, and the sugar and caffeine it contained, he couldn’t help but be over-active.

  “Did you know my mommy died?” he asked soberly.

  “Yes, Nicky.”

  “That’s why I have nannies. Are you my new nanny?”

  “No, dear.”

  “Oh. That’s too bad. I like you.”

  Her heart gave an odd little twist. “I like you, too, Nicky.”

  Before she had a chance to feel sentimental, Nicky had bounced on. “Why do you have a bird inside the house?”

  “Because he’s a pet bird.”

  “Why’s he in a cage?”

  “So he doesn’t get loose in the hotel and get hurt. If you’re all finished with that toast, shall we feed a bit to Floyd?”

  Nicky looked doubtful. “Will he bite?”

  “Not if you hold very still and don’t frighten him.”

  He didn’t, of course; he squealed and dropped the scrap of toast before Floyd came within six inches of it. The bird tipped his head and remarked, “Strike one.”

  Nicky’s eyes went wide. “He talked to me!”

  Amanda, who was still astounded sometimes at how very appropriate Floyd’s random remarks could be, tore off another bit of crust. “Do you want to try again?”

  “Make him say Nicky!” the child commanded.

  “I can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because he has to think about each word, and practice. Can you say antidisestablishmentarianism?”

  Nicky chuckled. “‘Course not. It’s too big!”

  “All at once, yes. But I bet you could say it if you took a little bit of the word at a time and practiced long enough. If you keep saying your name to Floyd, he might learn it. But you’ll have to be awfully patient, and talk to him every time you go by his cage. It might take days.”

  It took three more tries before Nicky could hold the bit of toast long enough for Floyd to snap it up, and another few minutes of coaxing before he learned to stroke the bird’s pale blue breast feathers with the very tip of his finger. “He’s soft,” Nicky whispered, almost in awe.

  By evening, the bird and the boy were buddies. When Chase appeared a little after eight o’clock, Nicky was standing on a stool by the cage, feeding Floyd bits of lettuce and repeating, “Say Nicky!” at intervals.

  Chase raised his eyebrows at Amanda. “Poor Floyd looks a little frazzled.”

  “He’s had a busy day. But it’s helped keep Nicky’s mind off his spots.” She picked up the cage cover. “I think that’s enough for now, Nicky. Say your prayers, Floyd.”

  Floyd had to think it over before he obliged, and his head was tucked under his wing before the cover was completely in place.

  “And it’s Nicky’s bedtime too,” Amanda said gently. “We were just waiting to see if you’d be home soon.”

  Nicky stuck out his lower lip and eyed her, obviously wondering if having his father as a witness would make a tantrum any more profitable. Before he’d made up his mind, Chase picked Nicky up, and the child flung his arms around his father’s neck.

  “You look a little frazzled, too, Amanda,” Chase said softly. “Do you want me to take him off your hands for the night?”

  She shook her head. “I’m a pro at this. All my friends have kids, and I keep them for a week at a time.”

  “If you’re sure...”

  “I’ve moved him into the den, though. I’m in no condition for another night on the couch.”

  He laughed at that as he carried Nicky off to bed. It was almost an hour before he appeared again, and Amanda was half-asleep, lulled by a soft string quartet which was playing on the stereo.

  “I didn’t mean to be so long,” Chase said. “Between drinks of water and good-night kisses and just one more story, it takes a while. Do you have any idea how many picture books you own?”

  “It isn’t the stories he wants, it’s you.” She patted back a yawn.

  “I suppose I should go,” Chase said. “You need your rest, too.”

  Amanda thought he sounded half-hearted about it, and for just a moment she indulged herself by imagining why he might not want to leave. It was silly, of course. He could hardly be unaware of the effect he had on women – but it certainly didn’t mean he felt anything overwhelming himself.

  “Why don’t you stay for a while?” she said. “Just in case Nicky doesn’t settle down right away, of course.”

  “Of course,” he said calmly. The string quartet faded into silence, and he moved over to the stereo and glanced at the row of compact discs. “May I?”

  “Feel free. Have you eaten?”

  “We had a dinner break on the set.” He chose a piano concerto.

  “A glass of wine, perhaps?”

  “That sounds good, but sit still. Just tell me where.”

  “In the refrigerator. Glasses are in the cabinet above the sink.”

  He rattled around her kitchen for a couple of minutes, then handed her a stemmed wineglass, one of the few bits of good crystal she owned, and sat down beside her.

  “You said something about nightmares last night,” Amanda said finally. “Does Nicky have them a lot?”

  “Now and then. Not as much as he used to.”

  “I always like to be prepared for things like that.”

  Chase said softly, “I can’t believe how lucky I am that you were there at the moment Nicky needed you – and that you’d agree to take him on.” He raised his glass in a silent toast.

  Amanda shrugged. “I like kids, and I enjoy having them around.”

  “I don’t doubt it, but –” He set his glass aside and put his index finger under her chin to turn her face up to his. “Thank you, Amanda.”

  His eyes were almost gold, she thought in surprise. It must be the reflection of the lamps...

  His kiss was no more than a soft, warm, fleeting brush of the lips. It was over before Amanda could gather her thoughts, much less do anything to stop him.

  Not that she wanted to stop him, of course. The kiss had only been a brief thank-you, more salute than anything else. It was nothing to take offense at – and nothing to get particularly excited about, either, even if he was the sexiest man on American TV. She should just smile at him – a calm, ordinary smile...

  She tried. But something seemed to be wrong with her lower lip, because it trembled just a little. She ran the tip of her tongue across her lip, trying to steady it.

  Chase’s eyes narrowed. Very deliberately, he took Amanda’s wine glass out of her hand and set it on the trunk, and slipped one arm around her.

  The second kiss was just as gentle, but that was where all resemblance stopped. If the first had been a sweet salute, this was rather like biting into a hot chili pepper – it took Amanda’s breath away and robbed her of the power of speech.

  And she knew that – exactly like a chili
pepper – once the first stunning impact of that kiss had passed, she would be left with the desire to try another.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “Daddy,” said a plaintive little voice from the doorway. “What are you doing?”

  Chase turned his head. “I’m kissing Amanda,” he said. His voice sounded as if he was having a little trouble getting his breath.

  Amanda gave a little squeak of protest and tried to pull away. Chase’s arms tightened around her.

  “Oh,” Nicky said calmly. “Why?”

  “Because I like her and it seemed to be a good idea. What are you doing, Nicky?”

  The child shifted his weight from one bare foot to the other. “I need a drink of water.”

  “You need a spanking,” Chase said under his breath. He released Amanda without hurry and went to tend to his son.

  She was changing the compact disk on the stereo, even though it still had a while to play, when he came quietly up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. “Amanda – ”

  She jumped. “I didn’t hear you.”

  “Sorry,” he said, and let her go. “I didn’t mean to startle you. Another glass of wine?”

  “Maybe just a little.”

  By the time he came back to the living room with the wine, Amanda had curled up in a chair. She thought he raised his eyebrows a bit, but he didn’t comment.

  “You didn’t spank him, did you?” she asked.

  “Of course not. Why would I – Oh, I did say that, didn’t I?”

  “Yes, you did.”

  “He wasn’t being bad, just nosy. Four-year-olds have a sixth sense, you know. They can always pick out the precise moments when they’re really not wanted.”

  She smiled despite herself. “Well, at least your answer seemed to satisfy him.”

  “It had the advantage of being the truth, too.” He sounded quite calm about it.

  Amanda bit her lip and looked down at the bubbles in her wine. Don’t get crazy, she told herself. All Chase had said was that he liked her. He no doubt liked lots of women, and he’d probably kissed a good many of them too. Nicky certainly hadn’t seemed shocked at the sight of his father with a woman in his arms.

  Don’t let your imagination get out of hand, Amanda, she warned herself. The fact that she practically went up in smoke whenever Chase touched her didn’t mean he felt anything on the same scale.

  He chose the end of the couch farthest from her chair and sat at an angle which let him face her. He tried to stretch out his legs, but the trunk was in the way, and he shifted uncomfortably.

  “Go ahead and put your feet on top of it,” Amanda said.

  “It’s an antique.”

  “Not really. And it’s sturdy, or else it wouldn’t be there.”

  Chase nodded. “Because of all the kids you have around, of course.” With his feet on the trunk, ankles crossed, he looked as relaxed as if he was lying in a backyard hammock. “Do you select all your furniture with them in mind?”

  “Not always. I had a wicker rocking chair in this room for a while. One of my young friends bounced in it once too often, and I scolded her. She looked up at me with a hurt face and said, ‘But Mandy, if the chair isn’t to sit in, why do you have it?’ And you know, she was right.”

  “You actually got rid of it?”

  “Oh, no. But I put it in my bedroom, where the kids don’t usually go. You were sitting there last night.”

  He feigned terror. “I hope I didn’t bounce too much.”

  Amanda laughed, and the mock fright vanished from his face.

  “I’m fascinated,” he said softly. “Since you get such a charge out of your friends’ kids, why don’t you have any of your own?”

  Amanda shrugged. “My life just never worked out that way, I guess.”

  “You sound as if it’s all over,” he objected. “How old are you, anyway – twenty-five?”

  She smiled a little. “You’re close. Do you guess weights and tell fortunes, too?”

  “You’re a mere baby yourself, with lots of time to have a family. Oh, to be so young again, with all the world to choose from....”

  “At thirty-four, you’re not exactly antique yourself, Chase.”

  “You’ve been reading my publicity handouts.”

  Amanda felt a gentle wave of color rise in her cheeks.

  “You have? Honestly?” He sounded delighted.

  “Well, there hasn’t been anything but movie news in the local paper recently.” It was a foolish protest, and obviously Chase knew it, for he grinned at her and didn’t say a word. She put her chin up a fraction. “No one could live in Springhill for long and not know all about Chase Worthington. You’ve been a favorite topic of conversation for years.”

  “It’s not fair,” Chase mused. “I can’t go to the local library and read up on you. So tell me what your publicity handouts would say, Amanda. Besides the fact that you love kids and you kiss like an angel, that is.”

  “Chase...”

  He looked at her innocently over the rim of his wine glass. “Does that mean you want me to change the subject? Because I’m not going to.”

  Amanda gave up. “There isn’t anything interesting about me. I was born here, I grew up here.”

  “Tell me about your family.”

  She hesitated, and shrugged. “Nothing much to tell. I was a late child, and an only one. My father was an appliance repairman, and my mother did good deeds.”

  “Past tense?”

  “My mother died when I was in college, and my father a couple of years ago. That’s why I came back here – he was ill, and I took this job so I could be close to him.”

  “That’s sweet.”

  There was nothing sweet about it, but Amanda wasn’t going to tell Chase that. She had sworn more than once that she would never come back to Springhill, and at the time her father’s illness had seemed like the intervention of a sullen, vengeful fate, dragging her back against her will. But it hadn’t been so bad, after all. They had even made a sort of peace between them, eventually...

  “When he died a year later,” she said, “the owners of the inn were just starting to renovate the place, and it looked like a challenge, so I stayed. Sounds pretty dull, doesn’t it?”

  “Quiet,” Chase amended.

  “There’s nothing wrong with a quiet life. That doesn’t mean it’s boring.” She tried to pat back a yawn.

  Chase set his glass aside. “It looks as if I should carry you in to bed, too.” The lazy note in his voice left his words open for interpretation.

  Amanda’s eyes widened in momentary shock. Then she forced herself to laugh; he had been teasing – hadn’t he? “Just like Nicky, I suppose? With drinks of water and bedtime stories?”

  “And especially good-night kisses. Just so there’s no misunderstanding, Amanda Bailey – I’d love to spend the night with you.” His tone was slow and sultry.

  Amanda made a conscious, desperate effort to keep breathing – she seemed to have forgotten how. “I didn’t invite you to stay, Chase,” she said finally.

  “I know you didn’t.” He stood up. “That’s why I’m going away right now, before my self-control runs out. See you tomorrow.” His lips brushed her cheek.

  She closed the door behind him and leaned against it, her hand cupped over the place where his mouth had rested. Until she had met Chase Worthington, she would never have imagined that a simple peck on the cheek could make her whole body feel like a violin string, stretched taut.

  She’d bet that Chase Worthington could tell some fantastic bedtime stories, too. She had no doubt that making love with him would seem just like a fairy tale...

  *****

  The next morning, while Nicky napped, Amanda bribed the chambermaid to keep one eye on him while she cleaned the rooms at that end of the second floor. Amanda, meanwhile, slipped down to the registration desk in a feeble effort to catch up on her work. It was really amazing how much she had accomplished on the telephone in half an hour while Nick
y was overseeing Floyd’s bath. Still, there were a great many things that required personal attention.

  She didn’t realize until she reached the lobby that she had gotten a bit claustrophobic after a couple of days in a sickroom. Her little apartment was cozy and comfortable, but she never spent more than a few waking hours there at a time. There were too many other things to do – regular inspection tours of the inn, checking to be sure the work she had ordered had been done, training new employees, greeting guests and making certain they were comfortable. When she wasn’t working, she walked in the peaceful little park nearby, or shopped in the stores downtown, or visited her friends. Springhill might be small, but there was always something going on if one looked for it.