The Switched Baby Scandal (A Scandals of San Sebastian Novel) (Entangled Bliss) (13 page)

“No, sorry. He said he’d let the maître d’ know he was waiting for you so you could be shown directly to his table.”

“Thanks, Jane.”

“Good luck.”

The phone clicked off and Taylor pulled in to the Seafarer lot and parked the car. Grabbing her briefcase and notepad, she took a moment to smooth her skirt and reapply her lipstick before entering the restaurant.

The young man smiled at her as she entered. “One for lunch?”

“No, there’s a gentleman waiting for me to join him. I’m Taylor Lawrence from Uncommon Designs.”

“Ah, yes. Please this way.”

He wove between the tables toward the back of the restaurant where the views of the ocean and cliffs were the best. She felt the downy hairs on the back of her neck raise with apprehension a split second before she saw him. Reece was sitting alone at a table for two.

She slowed her steps.
No, not this.
A public place. Probably to ensure she wouldn’t throw a fit or cry all over him. She lifted her chin a notch, intending to act as if this were any other professional meeting. She wouldn’t let him get the best of her, not now. Not ever again.

The maître d’ pulled out her chair and she settled into it, then crossed her legs and set her briefcase down beside her chair. She looked him straight in the eye.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Wallace. I understand you have an interior design project you wish to discuss?” Anger tinged her tone, making her words sound more brisk than intended.

“I know you’re not happy to see me, but I think you’ll forgive Jane for helping me out when you see what I have for you.”

Taylor raised an eyebrow. She was going to throttle Jane when she got back to the office.

From beside his seat Reece pulled out a wrapped package and set it on the table between them.

“Isn’t it a little late for gifts? Emily’s birthday was a week ago.”

“It isn’t for Emily. It’s for you.”

Taylor sat back and crossed her arms, anger flaring. How dare he think to buy her off with a gift! She wasn’t a woman who could be bought. Michael had thought gifts and trinkets solved every hurt and wound. Well, it just proved that Reece was cut from the same cloth as Michael, didn’t it?

“I don’t want it.”

“I think you will once you’ve seen it.”

She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.

“Are we done here?” She splayed her hands on the table and pushed back her chair so she could get up to leave.

Reece grasped her hand.

“Please, Taylor.” His eyes were dark with boyish hurt that reached in and squeezed her vulnerable heart precisely when she wanted to shut him out. “Just look at it first before you decide. If you don’t want it then, that’s fine with me.”

She scooted the seat back and reluctantly tore open the paper. Her mind clouded over with confusion when she saw that inside lay a large scrapbook. Taylor glanced up at him.

“Open it,” he prompted.

She flipped open the thick-padded pink cover of the book to see the wrinkled form of infant Alyssa cuddled up to a stuffed Winnie-the-Pooh nearly bigger than she was. Each page was a loving ensemble of the little moments in her daughter’s short life, and not just in pictures but illuminated with tiny snippets about the scenes in Reece’s handwriting, giving her an intimate peek into Alyssa’s world.

Taylor’s fingers devoured the pages, her heart softening as she realized he had done this for her. He had indeed given her something no one else on this earth could. This wasn’t a trinket; this was part of his heart and soul. Her throat tightened as she held back the tears that burned her eyes.

If this was his way of apologizing, he was damn good at it.

She looked over at him and saw that his eyes were rimmed with unshed tears as well.

“Thank you…” Her voice was thick and she was shaking. She wouldn’t cry. She refused to cry, but God she wanted to.

“I know you still have a lot of questions about her, things that you wish you could capture and hold on to. I’m here. Ask me anything you like.”

“Did she love Rebecca?”

She saw Reece’s hand clench tightly. For a moment he looked out the window at the rolling waves and the cloudy sky.

“Yes she did.” His voice cracked, then he looked at her, his heart in his eyes. “I imagine just about as much as Emily loves you.”

“What was her favorite song?”

Reece gave her a pained smile. “I think she liked ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’ the best. She asked us to sing it over and over for her.”

She reached across the table and laid her hand on his tight fist. He relaxed under her touch, his hand turning to open and hold hers.

He never said in so many words that he was sorry or that she meant something to him, but this gift, this piece of himself that he would share with no one else, spoke volumes.

She looked into his haunted brown eyes. She could see that the past still laid a claim on him. He was grieving, just as she was, but in a different way.

“Becca—” His voice tightened, growing thin under the strain. He swallowed hard several times. Taylor gave his hand a squeeze, encouraging him to continue. “I can’t betray—” He bit his lip and focused his gaze out to the ocean, drawing a deep breath into his broad chest.

The pieces began to click into place, and it dawned on her what he hadn’t said. He wanted what they had shared. He wanted her to be happy. He wanted to share the past as well as the future with her and Emily. He just wasn’t sure how. And he was afraid of love.

In that moment she forgave him everything.

…

The following weekend things took a turn for the better. Reports came across the news that the nurse/child abductor who’d switched Emily and Alyssa had been located and taken into custody. Taylor was certain that now that the media had a bigger story to deal with concerning her trial and the children she’d taken, they’d lose all interest in her, Reece, and Emily. It took a bit of cajoling on Taylor’s part to convince Reece the coast should be clearer of media now, but he finally gave in and they all went for a picnic at Lowery Park, this time as a family. The restraining orders Reece had put in place against the local television stations and newspapers seemed to be doing their job. No new footage of Emily had appeared on the nightly news, even though they were still tracking developments in the alleged crimes by the nurse. Taylor believed Emily needed an outing. She didn’t want her daughter to think living in hiding was normal.

Their first meeting at this same place seemed years ago. Emily was taken with Reece and he was obviously wrapped around her little finger. Taylor smiled as she watched the two of them at the swings, her daughter begging to go higher as he pushed her.

They raced each other back to their picnic spot out in the open spring sunshine. She had arranged for Gino to pack them a lunch of cold chicken, pasta salad, bread, cheese, olives, grapes, and wine. And, of course, chocolate milk. Taylor could see why Reece liked him. They were more like brothers than friends and their loyalty was absolute.

Reece leaned over, pretending to be out of breath. “I think you’re going to wear me out kiddo,” he teased Emily.

Emily bounced around and giggled. “You’ll have to run faster to catch me next time, Daddy.”

While the word no longer clawed at her, it still gave her a twinge because, despite her attraction to him, the custody issue still loomed between them, a grit like sand in a swimsuit, that was a constant abrasive presence no matter what she tried.

Reece worked at setting up the video camera and tripod he had brought along while Taylor set out lunch. “We might as well begin creating memories now.” He didn’t have to add “you never know what might happen,” but Taylor identified with the undercurrent of feeling all the same. His grief was always there, running just beneath the surface.

“Do you really want pictures of us eating?” She smiled.

“It depends. If you get something between your teeth, let me know and we’ll zoom in for a close-up, okay?”

Taylor laughed. “No way, José. I can do without any more camera time for any of us, thank you very much.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I think you look pretty good on camera or anywhere else.”

It was nice to have him flirting with her again. Even if they had yet to regain the intimacy they had shared before, she felt comfortable in the moment.

He settled down on the blanket, stretching out and resting his head on one elbow. She reached into the basket and pulled out the grapes.

“You gonna peel one of those for me?” His grin was all-out sexy.

“Not a chance. I was expecting you to peel them for me,” she gibed back.

“Mommy, what are those?” Emily pointed her hand at the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup package sticking out of his jacket pocket.

“Those are Reece’s.”

Emily smiled, opting for a new tactic.

“Daddy, can I have one of those?”

Reece gave her an assessing look. “Sure, but I’ll warn you they have peanut butter in them.” He and Taylor were waiting for the grimace on Emily’s face. She had always been pronounced in her hatred of peanut butter.

“But they have chocolate, too, right?” she asked hopefully.

“Yes, on the outside.”

Emily beamed. “Then I’ll just eat the outside and give the inside to you, okay, Daddy?”

Reece waved his hand in refusal. “Oh, no. I’m not getting stuck with all the peanut butter. If you want to try one, you have to try the whole thing.”

Emily screwed her face up in concentration, apparently weighing her options. She sighed. “Okay, I’ll try the whole thing.”

Reece unwrapped one of the dark brown circles and handed it to Emily. Her daughter looked it over carefully, and seeing only chocolate, took a large bite. At first she chewed slowly. Taylor was waiting with a napkin in hand for her to spit it out and make a grand mess, but it never happened.

Emily took another bite. Taylor was shocked. Her child, who had refused to even try peanut butter because of the smell, was indulging herself in the treat.

“These are really yummy, Daddy. Can I have another?” Her little face and fingers were smeared with sticky, melted chocolate.

Reece looked over at her, searching for approval. She nodded her consent and Emily gleefully began to eat another one. When her daughter had polished off the second peanut butter cup, Taylor called a halt. She was still stunned that Emily had changed a lifetime habit because of Reece’s influence. Perhaps her little girl needed him more than she expected.

Maybe she did, too. Taylor pushed the thought back. She wasn’t going to get carried away. She promised herself after their long lunch and talk about Alyssa that it was Reece’s turn to make the next move, not hers.

She gazed at him as he relaxed on the red-plaid blanket, unable to tear her eyes away from his profile. Without even trying, he projected an energy and power that undeniably attracted her, and she longed for another chance alone with him.

Her pulse jumped when his deep brown eyes locked knowingly with hers. She had the alarming suspicion that for an instant he could read her thoughts. A heated blush inched along her skin and she looked away.

She let her gaze wander out over the park and for a moment thought she saw someone she recognized. A man in his thirties sat on a park bench talking into a cell phone held close to his ear. He looked briefly in their direction and then turned away. Taylor could swear she knew him from somewhere, but couldn’t place it. The doubt made her edgy.

She shook her head. She was imagining things. When she looked back at Reece, he, too, was peering in the direction of the man on the bench.

“I know this sounds silly, but I’ve got a really bad feeling,” Taylor whispered to Reece.

“You’re not the only one.” He was sitting up now, his shoulders tensing.

His brows narrowed and his face hardened into a granite profile.

“Taylor, get Emily to the car. Now.”

His comment startled her. “Why?”

Her eyes followed to where he was staring, and she spotted the news crew striding toward them from across the park, a large black television camera slung over one of their shoulders.

Taylor started packing things into the basket. Reece grabbed her hand and slammed the lid down. “There’s no time for that. Leave it here. Just get Emily to my car.” He placed the keys to the Lexus in her hand. “It’s got tinted windows. Go!”

Without another word he was off the blanket striding toward the threesome headed in their direction. Taylor whipped around, sparing the news crew a cursory glance, knowing there was no way she could get to the car without passing them. Reece obviously intended to run interference.

“Mommy, why’s Daddy angry at those people?”

Taylor pulled Emily close. “We have to go. Grab Eddie and Jessie.”

“But I don’t want to go!” Emily wailed.

She grasped her little girl by the shoulders and gave her a stern look. “Not now, Emily. This is important. Stay close to Mommy.” She was shaking as she hugged Emily close to her side and tried to block the crew’s view of her daughter with her body as they sprinted to the parking lot. Emily was whimpering now. That pumped up Taylor’s adrenaline even more.

Reece shouted at the cameraman. “I’ve got a restraining order. You’re not going to interview either one of them! Pack it up, or I’ll do it for you.” Out of the corner of her eye she saw him shove the man with the camera aside.

Taylor reached Reece’s car with Emily. The man from the bench was waiting for her.

Now that she saw him up close, Taylor recognized him immediately as the reporter from the courtroom.

“Ms. Lawrence, I’m Grant Shipley from the
Sentinel
. I’d like to ask you a quick question. Is Emily happy?”

She was startled, unsure of how to respond. “She’s fine. Please, just leave us alone.” She tried to open the door only to have Shipley press his hand against it with a greater force, keeping it closed. Emily was clutching at the hem of her skirt, huddled behind her.

“Is it true you’re living with Mr. Wallace now? Have either of you been asked to testify against the nurse, now that they’ve located her?”

Taylor felt her temper surpass her panic, her protective instincts coming to the fore. “Mr. Shipley, I suggest you get your hand off the car unless you and the paper want to be sued for harassment. I understand you need to cover the story, but find another way to do it. Leave Emily out of this.”