He pushed off the door frame. “Please ask Kiki or me for anything you need,” he said.
“Thanks.” She opened a small black case and pulled out an expensive looking camera. “I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
“I didn’t know you were a photographer,” he said.
“Oh, I’m not. I just take snapshots of Christie. If you don’t mind, I’d like to take a few of the house.”
“Feel free.” His gaze settled on the camera. “That’s fancy equipment for snapshots.”
“I suppose it is.”
He lingered for a moment but when it became obvious that she wasn’t going to say anything else, he left and started down the hallway. The camera was just a symbol of their problem, he thought. There was so much he didn’t know about Erin Ridgeway. Who was this woman who had given up her life to raise someone else’s child?
Parker nervously followed Erin down the hall. The sun hadn’t quite set yet, so it was still light. In Christie’s room, someone had drawn the drapes, giving the illusion of darkness. A small night-light glowed by the open door as he stepped inside.
Christie was on her side in bed and she smiled when she saw him. “I’m not very tired,” she said.
Erin had already warned him that Christie would try to get out of going to bed at her regular time. He sat on the edge of the mattress and stared at the girl.
“I’m tired,” he said. “This was an exciting day. You moved here and unpacked your things. We played on the beach.” Her hair was loose. He’d never seen it out of pigtails. He touched the silky strands marveling at the perfection that was his child. “Millie is already asleep.” He motioned to the doll nestled in her arms.
“Dolls don’t sleep,” she said with the authority of an expert.
“Of course they do. Everything sleeps, even flowers.”
“Flowers?” She rolled on her back and looked up at him. “When do they sleep?”
“In the winter.”
Her gaze was trusting, as if she knew he would never hurt her or lie to her. He vowed he would rather die than let her down.
“Now go to sleep,” he said. “The quicker you do, the quicker tomorrow will get here. We’ll do something fun together.”
“Okay.” The word was punctuated by a yawn. “’Night, Daddy,” she murmured, her eyelids drifting closed.
“Good night.” He sat there for a moment, then bent over and kissed her cheek. His heart thudded painfully as the band across his chest tightened.
He wanted to sit here and watch her sleep, but he knew Erin was waiting for him in the hall. He rose to his feet and silently crossed the room.
“She’s already out,” he said.
“I knew she would be. She protests going to bed then falls asleep in about a minute. Sometimes I’m surprised it takes that long. She uses so much energy in her day.”
They walked to the end of the hall and started down the stairs. “She looks so small in bed,” he said.
Erin chuckled. “I think you’re right. While she’s running and doing, she’s seems almost grown-up. But at night, sometimes I think she shrinks.”
They were still laughing when they reached the bottom of the stairs. Kiki came out of the dining room and walked toward him. Parker noticed she’d changed out of her jogging suit and was wearing a frilly cotton dress. Her tanned legs were bare, and instead of athletic shoes, she had on high-heel sandals.
“Another big night?” he asked.
Kiki ignored him. “Erin, I’ll be back later. Let Parker know if you need anything. What time do you usually have breakfast?”
“You don’t need to cook for us.”
“Honey, that’s my job. I would guess Christie probably wakes up around seven?”
“Usually.”
“Then I’ll have something ready for seven-thirty. Bye.” She wiggled her fingers at them, then walked to the front door. A few minutes later a car drove off.
“Kiki often goes out at night,” Parker said, then motioned to the terrace. “You want to sit outside and watch the sunset?”
“Ah, sure.”
She sounded a little nervous. Parker wondered if it was because they were alone together, or if she was waiting for him to stick his foot in his mouth again.
He led her to one of the chaise lounges pushed off to the side.
“How about some wine?” he said. “There’s some white already chilled.”
“Okay.” Her hazel eyes were dark with confusion.
He went into the kitchen and got a bottle out of the refrigerator. After pulling out the cork, he grabbed two glasses and returned to the terrace. Erin had perched uneasily on the edge of the lounge.
She’d changed for dinner. If he’d known she was going to he would have told her not to bother. Neither he nor Kiki was interested in being formal. Erin wore a soft silky white shirt tucked into beige tailored trousers. A thin belt emphasized her narrow waist.
He poured the wine and handed her a glass, then sat in the chaise lounge across from hers. After setting the wine bottle between them, he leaned over and touched the rim of his glass to hers.
“To Christie,” he said.
“Christie,” she repeated softly, but did not drink.
He leaned back in his chair. “Are you settled in your room?”
“Yes.”
He studied the horizon, the last sliver of sun still visible and the golden glow on the restless ocean. “Why are you nervous?”
“Is it that obvious?”
“I don’t consider myself very observant, so if I noticed, it must be.”
She laughed. “Oh, that made me feel better. Thanks.”
He looked at her. “At least you don’t look so scared anymore.”
The humor faded from her face. She stared at the glass of wine. “The situation is a little awkward. I thought I’d planned everything when I decided to bring Christie to meet you. I was wrong. I didn’t realize all the details to be worked out, or the logistics of two strangers dealing with a child.”
“I’d like you to be comfortable here, Erin. Tell me anything you want, even if you just want to be left alone. I’d like us to be friends.”
She raised her gaze to his. Emotions flickered through her hazel irises. Was she remembering what he’d done to her sister? Did those actions five years ago mean that she would never trust him?
“I’d like that, too,” she said softly.
A last glimmer of sunlight touched her face and highlighted the curve of her cheek. For that moment, her skin was iridescent and she looked like a beautiful creature from another world.
She set her glass on the stone terrace and folded her hands in her lap. “Maybe we should talk and get to know each other. You must have some questions about Christie.”
What he wanted to ask was if there was a man in Erin’s life. He swore silently. No, he didn’t want to know that, because it wasn’t important. Concentrate on the child. She was all that mattered.
“Who named her?” he asked instead.
“Stacey.”
“She had-” He hesitated. “She had time to do that?”
Erin nodded. “Those couple of days are a blur. I remember getting a call from the hospital. I’d just finished my last final exam and was starting to pack to come home. The nurse told me that the baby was doing fine, but Stacey wasn’t. Could I come right away? I was stunned. I didn’t even know Stacey was pregnant.”
“You don’t have to tell me this,” he said.
“Don’t you want to know what happened?”
He didn’t. Hearing the words made the images clear. For now he would just listen, but later he would feel the guilt. Still, there was no way to stop her.
“Tell me everything,” he said, knowing he would pay for that.
