“Porter, this is Jared Whitewolf. Jared, this is my supervisor, Porter Gaston.”
“Glad to meet you,” Jared said politely, shaking hands with Porter.
“Faith said you’re taking her to dinner.”
“That’s right.”
“Before you go, I thought maybe you’d want to look around the office, see some of her work. Faith, why don’t you sit with his little baby while I show him our new promotion?”
Hearing the determination in Porter’s voice, Faith knew it was useless to protest. And she knew he wanted Jared alone to question him. Porter was a family friend who’d been looking after her for years.
“Now I can see what you’ve been working on,” Jared said easily, and followed Porter beyond the glass door.
Faith felt mildly annoyed at Porter’s meddling, but she knew her entire family would be even more curious about Jared Whitewolf than Porter was. She sat down and looked at the baby who was sleeping again, slumped over in the stroller. She looked uncomfortable, so Faith leaned down to unbuckle the strap and carefully lift the sleeping child into her arms. Merry sighed and snuggled against Faith and Faith’s arms tightened. She felt a hollow ache while the warmth of the tiny baby seemed to permeate to her heart.
Fifteen minutes later, the men returned and Jared took Merry from her arms. He picked up his hat and set it on his head, and then turned to extend his hand to Porter.
“It was nice to meet you. Thanks for the tour.”
“Sure thing. You two have a good evening. I’ll wind this up, Faith. If I see anything that isn’t ready, I’ll give you a call. You don’t mind if I call anytime tonight, do you?”
“No. I won’t be home for about an hour, but after that, it’s fine.”
“Good. I might have a question.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Gaston,” Jared said, and pushed open the door for Faith. He wheeled the stroller through the door and walked beside her toward the elevators.
“Sure that wasn’t your dad?”
Smiling, she shook her head. “He’s a close friend of my father and my uncle, Blake Kolanko. My uncle owns this business.”
“Ahh.”
“Don’t say ‘ahh’ like ‘so that’s why you have your job.’ I worked at another ad agency until last year when I came to work here.”
“I didn’t mean any such thing. I just understand better why Gaston was hovering. He didn’t want you to go out with me.”
“Well, you’re not my usual date.”
As they waited for the elevator, Jared looked down at her, then touched her collar, his fingers brushing her throat. He stood close enough that she could feel the warmth of his body.
“Who’s your usual date?”
“I date men like Porter. They work at brokerage firms or ad agencies. They don’t spend the afternoon in the park. And I’ve known them for years and years.” She knew she was rambling, but his brown eyes were playing havoc with her thought processes and she was aware she had worked since six that morning. She smoothed stray tendrils of hair away from her face and wished she had taken more time to freshen up before leaving the office.
He caught her hand and rubbed his thumb lightly across her knuckles. The touch made her draw a deep breath. Why did the slightest physical contact with him make her tingle?
“I don’t see any ring from one of these guys you’ve known years and years. Who’s the one in your life now?”
“Right now, there isn’t one. I’ve been really busy with work for the past couple of months.”
He gave her a crooked grin and ran his finger down her cheek. “Sounds like you’re ready for a little change in your life.”
The elevator doors slid open and he stretched out a long arm, holding the door open while she entered. He pushed the stroller inside.
She looked down at Merry in his arms. “You know, I really don’t know you. If it weren’t for this baby, I wouldn’t be doing this.”
Jared stretched out his arm, placing his hand against the wall beside her head and leaned close, bending his knees to look into her eyes. “I didn’t have anything to do with your agreeing to go out?” he asked in a husky voice. “You don’t feel any little zip of anticipation or curiosity when we talk?”
“Maybe,” she answered cautiously, her whole body feeling little zips from his husky voice, his nearness and his question. As she gazed up at him, her breasts tightened and her heart raced.
“Scared to admit it?”
“I told you, this isn’t what I’m accustomed to at all. I’ve never gone out with someone I just met.”
“I don’t blame you if it’s a stranger you don’t know. But you know a lot about me. You know I ride in rodeos. You’ve talked to my brother. And you’ve saved my daughter from choking. We’ll get to know each other better, and tomorrow night you can come watch me ride.”
She had to smile. “Too bad you don’t have any confidence in yourself,” she remarked.
“Faith, darlin’,” he drawled, leaning closer and placing his fingers along her cheek, “my confidence is in what I feel and what I see in your green eyes when we stand close like this.”
The elevator doors slid open. As she stepped out and walked through the doors into the night beside Jared Whitewolf, she felt as if she were leaving more than her office and day’s work behind.
They placed the stroller in the rear of the pickup and then buckled Merry in the carrier that was in the back seat.
When Jared drove out of the lot, Faith glanced back at the sleeping baby. “She is the best little baby. What happened to her mother?”
“She didn’t want a baby, so she packed and left Merry behind.”
Faith shook her head. “I’m sorry,” she said, wondering how badly he had been hurt. “Having a new baby and losing your wife about the same time must mean huge adjustments. I’m sorry you lost your wife.”
“Oh, I’ve never been married. I’m not Merry’s blood father,” he answered quietly.
Three
As he drove along darkened streets, Faith stared at him. “You said she’s your daughter.”
“I adopted Merry when her daddy died,” Jared said, his voice rough.
“You must have been close friends,” she said.
“He was my best friend.” Jared stared straight ahead as he turned into a graveled lot lighted by a tall pole lamp. He parked and cut the motor, still staring out the front window. She saw a muscle knot in his jaw.
“You know, life is strange. My family was such a mess growing up, I finally ran away. I’ve lived everywhere and done nearly everything, but when Dusty died, it got to me like not much else ever has. I think part of it has to do with Merry. Sometimes when I’m with her, I know what he’s missing. It shouldn’t be me watching her get her first tooth, it should be Dusty.”
“Sorry, Jared. But it’s wonderful you took responsibility for her.”
“She’s my life now,” he said, reaching back to touch the baby’s wispy hair. “Enough about the past. C’mon, let’s eat.”
As they stepped out of the car, Faith glanced around. Red neon burned over the door in a simple sign reading Eldon’s Café. Across the street was a bar and pool hall, and down the block another bar.
“The area’s