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Nicole had never felt so conflicted in her life. Although she knew she was completely justified in making sure that Rafe would be a good parent to Joel, she hated the idea of causing Rafe pain. Given his history with her sister, her feelings were pure insanity.
Why did she care about hurting him? Was it because Rafe was Joel’s father? Nicole suspected it was more than that. Something about Rafe made her feel longings she’d dismissed. She should forget those same longings now.
Five days later, a social-services specialist called the house to schedule a visit. Nicole reluctantly called Rafe.
“What does she want?” he asked.
“She wants to observe Joel and you to see how he is adjusting,” Nicole said, pacing as she talked to him. The two of them had barely exchanged a word since he’d taken off that night after her confrontation.
“What did you tell her?” he demanded.
“I told her that you and Joel had a wonderful time on your yacht,” she said. “But you haven’t given me any new material since then.”
“You told her that?” he said, fury in his voice.
Nicole shook her head in exasperation. “Just the first part. But it would have been the truth. You don’t seem to grasp the concept that fathering is an everyday commitment, not just an every-now-and-then exercise.”
“I’m still catching up from my time in Atlanta,” he said in a clipped voice, then swore. “When is she coming?”
“I wanted to ask you first so you could be prepared,” she said.
Silence hung between them. “Thank you,” he said. “How about Saturday?”
“I don’t think they like to work weekends,” she said.
“Okay,” he said and paused. “Tuesday,” he said. “Tuesday afternoon. We’ll spend some time in the pool. Joel likes that. We’ll go out on the yacht again on Friday.”
Nicole packed for Joel and herself and met Rafe again at the dock. Something raw and unspoken passed between them. Rafe extended his hand to Joel and her son hesitantly took it.
Rafe shot her a look of inquiry.
“A day is a week to a three-year-old,” she said.
“Good point.”
Rafe worked at charming his son and by evening, Joel allowed him to read his bedtime stories. Nicole paced the deck, full of conflicting emotions. She wished the wind whipping through her would bring clarity with it.
“What have you told him about me?” Rafe asked from behind her.
She closed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “That you’re busy working. You have a very important job and a lot of people depend on you.”
“It doesn’t wash, does it?” he said more than asked, moving beside her.
“It will for a little bit, then not so much,” she said and met his gaze. “Fatherhood is a huge time commitment. I’m not sure you’re ready for it.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Is that what you told the social-services specialist?”
“Absolutely not,” she said.
“Why not, if it’s what you believe?”
She looked away and shrugged. “You’re new at this, so you’re bound to screw up.”
Silence followed. “Excuse me?”
She met his gaze. “Think about it. How much training have you had to be a father?”
“None, but-”
“Exactly, and like most people, you probably think it should come naturally. But it doesn’t. It takes work.”
The wind whipped through his hair. “If I were in your position, I might be tempted to sabotage me.”
“It has occurred to me,” she said without blinking.
His eyes widened. “Then why haven’t you?”
She sighed. “Several reasons. It ultimately wouldn’t be best for Joel. And you seem to be sabotaging yourself. You don’t need my help.”
His mouth lifted in a half grimace. “This is where you are nothing like your sister.”
“Is that a compliment or insult?” she asked. “I’m not always sure.”
“Compliment,” he said. “Your honesty is one of your most seductive qualities.”
Nicole held her breath, unable to summon a pithy retort. Damn it if she hadn’t missed him, too. It made no sense.
“We need to work together on this,” he said, taking her hand and lifting it to his lips.
Her heart jumped. “Working together implies two people, not just one.”
He lifted a dark eyebrow. “Are you saying I’m a slacker?”
She bit her lip to keep from smiling at his charm. “I haven’t been MIA for five days.”
“You noticed,” he said. “And you counted the days.”
“For Joel’s sake,” she said.
He gave a slow nod. “Point taken.”
The next day Rafe and Joel fished. Rafe even cajoled Nicole into trying her hand at it. He couldn’t help laughing at her squeal of victory when she caught a fish.
As they headed to the dock, he spotted Maddie waiting. “Damn,” he muttered. “Haven’t been gone twenty-four hours.”
“What’s wrong?” Nicole asked, coming from behind him.
“Maddie,” he said. “That usually means there’s something that needs my attention. Immediately,” he added, surprised at his disappointment. He’d been planning a quiet evening with Joel and Nicole.
“She doesn’t really look dressed for work,” Nicole said.
Rafe noticed his assistant’s black dress and shrugged. “Maybe she has a party.”
Maddie waved as the pilot parked the boat. A member of the staff lowered the gang plank steps and she immediately boarded the yacht. “Welcome back. I thought I should wait until you returned to tell you that the Crawford deal is in jeopardy. He’s in Fort Lauderdale this weekend for that charity event you helped sponsor, so you’ll be able to take a quick trip up there and smooth the waters. I can drive you if you like.”
He shook his head, mentally planning how to shorten the trip. “Nah, that’s okay. I’ll either drive myself or get Dan to take me. Is that the event for veterans?”
“Yes, it is,” she said, appearing disappointed. “Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you? It’s no problem.”
“No,” he said. “Veterans,” he repeated and glanced at Nicole. “Any chance you want to go?”
Nicole blinked in surprise. “What kind of event is it?”
“It’s an event put on by a yacht club in Fort Lauderdale to raise money for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome. You know who’s speaking?” he asked Maddie.
She paused, then sighed. “Gerard something,” she said.
“Gerard Thomas,” Nicole said, smiling. “I’ve worked with him before. He’s a terrific speaker.”
“Then join me,” he said, meeting her gaze.
Nicole glanced in Maddie’s direction then back at him. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
“What about Joel?” Maddie asked. “I mean, do you think he’ll be uncomfortable being left at home without Nicole?”
“I think that one’s headed for an early bedtime, and this occasion is one of the reasons we have a mother’s helper.” He brushed his hands together. “Decision made. Nicole’s coming with me.”
“I think Maddie was disappointed that you chose not to take her tonight,” Nicole said as Dan, Rafe’s chauffeur, drove Rafe’s limo toward Fort Lauderdale. She and Rafe had quickly changed clothes at Rafe’s house before they left.
“Why?” he asked, unbuttoning his jacket. “It meant she had a night off. Besides, this gives me yet another opportunity to show off the advantages of southern Florida.”
Nicole wondered again about Rafe’s relationship with his assistant, but didn’t want to pry. “If you’re trying to sell me on it,” she began.
“Yeah?” he prompted.
“Today was very nice,” she said.
“Very nice,” he gently mocked. “The temperature in Atlanta was thirty-nine with drizzle.”
“Okay, you’ve got Atlanta beat in the weather department-except during hurricane season.”
“If a hurricane hits, we can visit my brother in Atlanta or my other brother in Las Vegas. Or Aspen. I have a place there. If you really want to get out of Dodge, we can go to Italy. Damien worked out some kind of arrangement for a chateau where my ancestors lived.”
“That sounds interesting,” she said, remembering the life of luxury she’d led when she’d lived with her father. “How long ago did your family live there?”
“About two hundred and fifty years before my grandfather made a bad business arrangement and was swindled out of the family home.”
“That’s terrible.”
“Yes, it was, but it forced my father to come to America, which meant I was born here. I’m glad for that. Your ancestry goes back pretty far, too, doesn’t it? Bet you’re a member of a few exclusive ladies’ societies,” he said.
Nicole had never focused much on her so-called pedigree. There were too many more important things. “I guess, but my membership has probably lapsed. Oh, darn,” she said in a mocking voice.
He smiled at her. “I would have sworn you never missed a meeting.”
“Then you would have been wrong. Not that there’s anything wrong with the organization. They do some wonderful things, grant scholarships, perform charitable work…”
“How many meetings did you attend?”
“A few during breaks from college. My mother and father made it compulsory.”
“When did you stop going?”
“The second after I moved out on my own for good.”
“You did that in one year,” he remembered.
“You’re quoting the résumé you got from your P.I.,” she said, feeling a twinge of guilt that she hadn’t told Rafe about the report she’d received about him.
