Toys and Baby Wishes (12 page)

As they reached the landing, he targeted her ribs and began
tickling.  "You have no respect."

She tried unsuccessfully to push away his hands but they
were too large and too quick.  "Stop it.  Coercion won't work!"

"Who says?"  He started a fresh attack.

She slapped at his hands between giggles.  "Josh, Dad's
in the living room."

He stopped tickling but kept her a prisoner in his arms. 
"I'll stop if you give me a nice, long kiss."

"Blackmail," she said but with a pleasurable sigh
let him kiss her at length.  The magic and excitement was always there, the
passion ever-burning.  His breath became hers.  Hers became his.  She pushed
away a pang of guilt.  She'd tell him she couldn't have children.  Soon.  But
meeting Dani this weekend, seeing the reality of having a baby, was enough to throw
at him now.

Josh finally broke off the kiss.

Breathless, she said, "I'll sneak into your room.  You
have the king-size bed."  She jabbed him in the ribs, scurried down the
remaining steps into the living room before he could catch her.

When Josh came into the living room and took a seat next to
her on the sofa, his look said, "I'll get you later."

Donald Kittredge smiled at the two of them.  "I hope
Dani isn't too late.  Anna says she can't hold dinner much longer; the turkey
will fall apart."

"Dani will be here soon."  Lexa checked her watch.

"She'll be here when she's good and ready," her
father disagreed, his brown eyes saying he knew better.

"Dad, you have to have faith in her."

Donald adjusted his wire rims.  "You don't see Dani's
flaws like I do."

Her father had always been harder on Dani than his older
daughter, maybe because Lexa had always tried to be the perfect daughter while
Dani rebelled.  Sometimes she wondered if he loved either of them.  He'd missed
important events in their lives.  Birthday parties.  Dani's recitals.  The
ceremony when Lexa had received the American Legion medal for good
citizenship.  She tried to forget the Thanksgiving dinners planned by Loretta
to include the "right" people, people who raised her to upper echelon
society.

"Did Anna tell you I bought her a new oven?  It's hard
to believe she's been with us twenty-eight years.  We hired her when we bought
this house."  This he directed to Josh.

Josh said, "Loyalty and staying power are important in
the people who work for you."

"Loyalty has a great deal to do with the amount of
their paycheck."

"Dad."

"Lexa, that's just the way it is."

Was he really that cynical?  How was he going to respond
when he knew Dani was pregnant, when he knew Lexa was adopting the baby?  Josh
covered Lexa's hand with his and she was glad he was here.

Donald turned to Josh.  "Lexa told me you own two toy
stores.  I respect a man who manages his finances well enough to enable
growth."

"Dad, it's Thanksgiving.  Can we keep business out of
the conversation?" Lexa asked quietly.

Her father shrugged and ran his fingers through his thinning
brown hair.  "We can try, but it's hard for me to turn off the language
and terminology I've been using all week."  After a brief silence, Donald
asked Josh, "How long have you and Lexa been dating?"

"About six weeks," Josh said.

"Lexa doesn't tell me much when she calls.  She gives
me the time she's arriving, the time she's departing."

"You make me sound like a jet."

"You move like one most of the time," her father
grumbled.  "The only time you're still is when you're hashing out some
plot with Dani."

Suddenly from the doorway, a voice interrupted.  "Hi,
everyone.  I'm not late for dinner, am I?"

Lexa motioned to Dani to come to the sofa.  "No. 
You're just in time.  Come meet Josh."

Dani approached the sofa.  Her eyes swept Josh's figure and
his face.  She grinned and said in a mock aside to Lexa, "You picked a
winner this time."

Lexa tried to keep a blush from coloring her cheeks.  She
hugged Dani.  "We didn't hear you come in."

Dani brushed her sister's words away with her hand.  "I
came in the back."  After the hug, she extended her hand to Josh. 
"Lexa's told me what a great guy you.  She sure was right about your
gorgeous blue eyes."  Lexa wanted to sink under the sofa.

Josh winked and squeezed her knee.

Dani rubbed her hands on the oversize shirt that fell over
faded denims.  She cast a worried glance at her father.  "I think we
should just get this over with right away, Lexa.  Don't you?"

Lexa's stomach jumped.  "Why don't you wait until after
dinner?"

"Get what over with?" Donald asked.

"Dad, I'm pregnant.  Rob doesn't want to get married. 
I'm going to have the baby and Lexa's going to adopt him or her.  Lexa and I
have talked about this until we're blue.  It's settled."  Dani stuffed her
hands in her pockets after the rushed recital.

Donald Kittredge's mouth dropped open and he sat in stunned
silence looking at Dani and then Lexa.  He closed his mouth and rose to his
feet.  "Dani, I want to see you in my office.  Now."

"Dad..."

"Danielle," he repeated in a brook-no-argument
voice.

Lexa started to jump to Dani's defense.  "Dad--"

Donald turned to his eldest daughter, "I want to talk
to Dani privately; I'll talk with you after dinner.  I'm sure we'll all be
discussing this together in the months to come."  He motioned Dani out of
the room and he followed.

Lexa stood to go in the same direction but Josh caught her
arm to stop her.  "Let them talk."

"But, Josh, I know how he can be.  I don't want him
upsetting her."

"Do you fight all her battles?"

"No, of course not.  But..."

"He's her father," Josh said gently.  "He's
going to want to know more than the little bit Dani just told him."

"He's so hard to talk to."

"This is his grandchild."

"And he'll have no more time for him or her than he had
for us."  She felt more sadness than bitterness.

"You don't know that."

"If Dad wants to be a part of my life and a grandfather
to the baby, I'll let him.  But I don't expect that to happen."  She
looked again toward the doorway.

Josh cupped her elbow.  "Give them some time
alone."

She thought about it.  "All right.  Dani won't let Dad
corner her for long."  Lexa smiled.  "How would you like to carve the
turkey?"

Josh let her change the subject.  "Will your
housekeeper let me?  Clare pushes me out of the kitchen when she's
cooking."

"Just flash Anna one of your charming smiles and she'll
melt in her oxfords."

"And bat my gorgeous blue eyes?" he teased.

"Do you remember everything?"

His grin was mischievous.  "My brain works better than
a computer."

Then he pulled her into his arms, bent her back and kissed
her thoroughly.  Afterward they both seemed a bit shaken.

He said huskily, "I'll remember that for a long time to
come and I hope you will, too."

She would.  Because Josh was on very sexy man–the man she
loved.

***

Josh watched the Kittredge family as they ate a superbly
prepared Thanksgiving dinner.  The atmosphere was tense when Donald Kittredge
and Dani returned from their pow-wow and sat at the table.  Josh felt
uncomfortable when neither of them mentioned their conversation.  Worried
vibrations were coming from Lexa and he didn't know how to reassure her.  Josh
did his best to keep the conversation flowing.  To his relief, Dani began
chattering and joking.  Her ebullience clouded the concerns for the moment and
the tension relaxed. 

Many of her gestures and mannerisms were the same as
Lexa's.  But there the resemblance stopped.  Her hair was dark brown, her eyes
hazel.  She liked attention.  So different from Lexa.

As Lexa relaxed and began eating, Josh watched her act as a
buffer between Dani and her father.  Josh was sitting next to Donald and while
Dani and Lexa discussed common friends and Christmas presents for relatives,
Lexa's father quizzed Josh about his educational background and his family.

After Anna served pumpkin pie, Lexa saw what was happening
and gave Josh an encouraging smile.  He smiled back.

Donald Kittredge saw the exchange.  "Josh, I have some
interesting puzzles in the den that I've collected over the years.  Would you
like to see them?"

"I thought you wanted to talk to me," Lexa said.

"We have until Saturday.  This problem isn't going to
go away.  I'd like to get to know Josh better.  How about it, Josh?  Can we
retire to my office?"

Josh wanted to get to know this man.  By understanding
Donald Kittredge, he could better understand Lexa.  "Sure." He stood
and pushed his chair back.  The look he gave Lexa said, "Don't
worry."

Dani poked her sister.  "We can go bother Anna."

"We can help Anna," Lexa corrected, a wary eye on
her father as the two men departed.

Donald Kittredge's office smelled of wood and leather. 
Shelves lined two walls, an immense mahogany desk was set against one wall and
two burgundy leather chairs with ottomans faced a red brick fireplace.

After Josh examined the shelves and the puzzles shaped like
a cube, a chocolate kiss, a ball within a square, Donald invited him to sit in
front of the fireplace.  He began with a pointed question.  "Are you and
Lexa seriously involved?"

"Yes, we are."

"Do you believe Lexa knows what she's doing in adopting
this child?"

"With due respect, Mr. Kittredge, I think you should
ask Lexa that."

Donald Kittredge's brows drew together. "Lexa and I
have trouble talking to each other.  She gets very defensive, especially where
Dani is concerned."

"From what Lexa has told me, that seems only
natural."

He acknowledged the observation with a nod.  "She's
probably told you more than she's told me.  First of all, I'm worried about
both of them.  This situation is sticky, very sticky.  Lexa always knows her
own mind, but Dani doesn't.  My youngest daughter tends to be impulsive and
likes to take the easy way out."

"It's not easy to carry a child to term and then give
it up," Josh offered.  "She's made a mature decision wanting to put
the child's welfare first."

"Maybe.  Personally, I think she would like nothing
better than to marry Rob and settle down.  That's not possible so she's going
to have the child, let Lexa have custody, yet she can be Aunt Dani and enjoy
playing with the baby, visiting when she wants."

Josh had been so caught up in Lexa's excitement about the
child that he hadn't thought about the complications.  "Lexa feels the
child will be hers.  She'll be the mother, not Dani."

"Legally perhaps.  But we can't legalize our emotions. 
I feel Dani should keep the baby.  I'll give her whatever assistance she
needs.  You and Lexa need a solid relationship before you consider having
children or adopting them.  Dani's due in May.  That doesn't give you and Lexa
much time together alone."

Josh bristled at Donald Kittredge's assessment of what he
and Lexa needed, but for Lexa's sake and his own kept his temper in check.  He
was worried about the limited time they had together.  Lexa was so involved. 
With a child she would be even more involved.  Would she have time for him and
their relationship?  As much to himself as to Donald Kittredge, he said,
"We can work it out."

"You seem to be supportive of Lexa.  But consider what
I've said.  She thinks she can save the world, but I'm not sure this is the
time to save Dani.  If Dani was forced to give this child up to a stranger, she
wouldn't.  She'd keep it."

"You don't know that, Dad.  You don't know that at
all."

Donald looked over the back of his chair when he heard
Lexa's voice.  "Lexa, I don't think you've given this enough
thought."

She came into the room and stood in front of the two men. 
"I've given this days and weeks of thought.  This decision is right and I
don't want you trying to talk Dani out of it.  Let us solve this ourselves."

Donald Kittredge's voice was firm, his eyes penetrating. 
"You're not solving it correctly.  What happens if in a year or two Dani
grows up and decides she wants the child back?  Then what are you going to
do?"

"That won't happen," Lexa denied.

Josh asked gently.  "But what if it does?"

"You're not taking his side, are you?"

"I'm not taking anybody's side, but you'd better look
at this from all the angles."  Josh knew Lexa would be devastated if she
gave all her love and then Dani wrenched the child away.  Would she let Dani
take the baby back?  Everything he knew about Lexa told him she wouldn't think
of herself first.

"I have looked at this from all angles and that won't
happen.  You don't know Dani as I do.  She'd never do that to me or the baby."

Donald cut in.  "I hope not.  I sincerely hope she'd
consider the welfare of her child rather than her own.  But with Dani, it's
hard to tell."

Lexa gave a resigned sigh.  "You don't know her, and
you don't know me.  You never took the time."  Childhood hurts hadn't
healed, might never heal.  All Lexa could do was go on from this moment.

A pained look crossed her father's face.  "Let's not
get into that now.  What I'm telling you makes sense from an impartial
observer's viewpoint.  You think you can solve the world's problems.  You think
you can give and give and give more, and everything will change.  And you think
you can do it all by yourself.  You can't, Lexa.  You simply can't."

"I can do it myself.  After Mom died, I never had
anyone to depend on.  Not you.  Certainly not Loretta.  I've done fine without
anybody's help."  She had had no choice.  That hurt more than she ever
wanted to admit.

"Whether or not you knew it, you had my help,"
Donald defended himself.  "You don't think I know what's going on.  Of
course, I do.  How do you think you got the loan to set up your business?"