This Heart Of Mine

threw into double coverage late in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship. Instead of giving the Stars the victory that would have taken them to the Super Bowl, he'd let his teammates down, and even swimming with a school of hammerheads wasn't making him forget that.

An Aussie hottie in a halter top and tight white shorts gave him the twice-over, followed by an inviting smile. 'Need a tour guide, Yank?'

'Thanks, not today.'

She looked disappointed. He probably should take her up on her invitation, but he couldn't work up enough interest. He'd also ignored the seductive overtures of the sexy blond doctoral candidate who'd cooked on the dive boat, but that had been more understandable. She was one of the smart, high-maintenance women.

This was the heart of Queensland's monsoon season, and a splatter of raindrops hit him. He decided to work out at the hotel health club for a while, then head over to the casino for a few games of blackjack.

He'd just changed into his gym clothes when a sharp knock sounded at the door. He walked over and opened it. 'Dan? What are you doing-'

That was as far as he got before Dan Calebow's fist came up to meet him.

Kevin staggered backward, caught the corner of the couch, and fell.

Adrenaline rushed through him, hot and fast. He shot back up, ready to take Dan apart. Then he hesitated, not because Dan was his boss but because the raw fury in his expression indicated that something was drastically wrong. Since Dan had been more understanding than Kevin had deserved about the game, Kevin knew it didn't have anything to do with that ill-advised pass.

It went against his grain not to fight back, but he forced himself to lower his fists. 'You'd better have a good reason for that.'

'You son of a bitch. Did you really think you were going to walk away?'

Seeing such contempt on the face of a man he respected made his gut clench. 'Walk away from what?'

'It didn't mean anything to you, did it?' Dan sneered.

Kevin waited him out.

Dan came forward, his lip curled. 'Why didn't you tell me you weren't alone when you stayed at my house in December?'

The hair on the back of Kevin's neck prickled. He chose his words carefully. 'I didn't think it was up to me. I thought it was Daphne's business to tell you she'd been there.'

'Daphne?'

Enough was enough, and Kevin's own temper snapped. 'It wasn't my fault your nutcase of a sister-in-law showed up!'

'You don't even know her fucking name?'

Dan looked as if he was getting ready to spring again, and Kevin was angry enough to hope he would. 'Stop right there! She told me her name was Daphne.'

'Yeah, right,' Dan scoffed. 'Well, her name is Molly, you son of a bitch, and she's pregnant with your baby!'

Kevin felt as if he'd taken the sack of his life. 'What are you talking about?'

'I'm talking about the fact that I've had a stomachful of high-priced athletes who think they have a God-given right to scatter illegitimate kids around like so much trash.'

Kevin felt sick. She'd told him there hadn't been any consequences when he'd called. She'd even had her boyfriend with her.

'You could at least have had the decency to use a goddamn rubber!'

His brain started working again, and there was no way he'd take the blame for this. 'I talked to Daph-to your sister-in-law before I left Chicago, and she said everything was fine. Maybe you'd better have this conversation with her boyfriend.'

'She's a little preoccupied to have a boyfriend right now.'

'She's holding out on you,' he said carefully. 'You made this trip for nothing. She's going with a guy named Benny.'

'Benny?'

'I don't know how long they've been together, but I'm guessing he's the one responsible for her current condition.'

'Benny's not her boyfriend, you arrogant son of a bitch! He's a fricking badger!'

Kevin stared at him, then headed for the wet bar. 'Maybe we'd better start over from the beginning.'

Molly parked her Beetle behind Phoebe's BMW. As she got out of the car, she dodged a mound of dingy, ice- crusted snow. Northern Illinois was in the grip of a frigid spell that showed every sign of lingering, but she didn't mind. February was the best time of year for curling up with a warm computer and a sketchbook, or just for daydreaming.

Daphne couldn't wait until the baby rabbit was big enough to play with. They'd dress up in skirts with sparkly beads and say, 'Oo-la-la! You look divine!' Then they'd drop water balloons on Benny and his friends.

Molly was glad her speech at the literacy luncheon was over and that Phoebe had come along for moral support. Although she loved visiting schools to read to children, giving speeches to adults made her nervous, especially with an unpredictable stomach.

A month had passed since she'd discovered she was pregnant, and every day the baby became more real to her. She hadn't been able to resist buying a tiny pair of unisex denim overalls, and she couldn't wait to start wearing maternity clothes, although, since she was only two and a half months along, that wasn't necessary yet.

She followed her sister inside the rambling stone farmhouse. It had been Dan's before he and Phoebe were married, and he hadn't uttered a word of complaint when Molly had moved in along with his new bride.

Roo raced out to growl hello, while his more mannerly sister, Kanga, trotted behind. Molly had left him here while she was at the luncheon, and as soon as she hung up her coat, she leaned over to greet both dogs. 'Hey, Roo. Hello, Kanga, sweetie.'

Both poodles rolled over to get their tummies scratched.

As Molly complied, she watched Phoebe slip the Hermes scarf she'd been wearing into the pocket of Andrew's jacket.

'What's with you?' Molly asked. 'All afternoon you've been distracted.'

'Distracted? What do you mean?'

Molly retrieved the scarf and held it out to her sister. 'Andrew gave up cross-dressing when he turned four.'

'Oh, dear. I guess-' She broke off as Dan appeared from the back of the house.

'What are you doing here?' Molly asked. 'Phoebe told me you were traveling.'

'I was.' He kissed his wife. 'Just got back.'

'Did you sleep in those clothes? You look awful.'

'It was a long flight. Come in the family room, will you, Molly?'

'Sure.'

The dogs trailed behind her as she made her way toward the back of the house. The family room was part of the addition that had been built as the Calebow family had grown. It had lots of glass and comfortable seating areas, some with armchairs for reading, another with a table for doing homework or playing games. A state-of- the-art stereo system held everything from Raffi to Rachmaninoff.

'So where did you go anyway? I thought you were-' Molly's words died as she saw the large man with dark blond hair standing in the corner of the room. The green eyes she'd once found so alluring regarded her with undiluted hostility.

Her heart began to hammer. His clothes were as wrinkled as Dan's, and stubble covered his jaw. Although he had a fresh suntan, he didn't look like someone who'd come off a relaxing vacation. Instead, he looked dangerously wired and ready to detonate.

Molly remembered Phoebe's distraction that afternoon, her furtive expression when she'd slipped into the back of the room right after Molly's speech to take a call on her cell phone. There was nothing coincidental about this meeting. Somehow Phoebe and Dan had unearthed the truth.