Chapter Three #3
“Tycoon is a bit of a stretch, but the business does do well. Executives and rock stars like to travel by helicopter and that don’t come cheap.” He rested his hands on the steering wheel. “Where to?”
She named two cross streets in the southwest part of the valley and he headed that way. Traffic was relatively light. Heather leaned back in her seat and sighed. “This is nice. I could doze off right here.”
“Did you get any sleep?”
“Not much. Some of it was discomfort, but mostly I think I was too excited. What with being a new mom and all. I figure I’ll be back to work in about two weeks.”
“What? You can’t be serious. That’s too soon.”
She looked at him. “Not the factory. I have a three-month maternity leave from them, and if everything goes as planned, I’m not returning for several months after that, or even at all.
I meant my bookkeeping business. There’s an accountant who sends work my way, and I’ve found a few clients on my own.
The practice is small, but it’s growing.
I work out of my home, so it’s just a matter of shuffling to the computer and working on the books.
I’m hoping to pick up a couple more clients, then I’ll only need to get a part-time job to supplement my income.
I would prefer to stay home as much as possible with Diane. ”
“You have it all worked out.”
“I hope so. I’ve known I was going to be a single parent almost from the beginning of my pregnancy, so I’ve been able to make plans.”
Heather was tough and together and had many other qualities he admired.
At the next red light, he took a minute to study her profile.
She had a straight nose and full lips. Pale skin made her eyes look big and dark green.
She was blond and pretty. It would be very easy for men to be attracted to her.
But what he liked most wasn’t her looks despite the fact that he found her appealing.
Instead, he admired her character and her strength of will.
He caught the scent of something familiar. It took him a second to figure out it was baby powder and the sweet fragrance of the infant sleeping behind them. The situation was strange, he admitted.
“Do you realize that only twenty-four hours ago, you had just stepped into the elevator?” he said.
She glanced at the clock on the dashboard. “I know. So much has happened.” She pointed to the corner. “Turn right here. Then it’s the second street on your left.”
The neighborhood was older, well kept, but it hadn’t been revitalized. Large trees raised some of the curbs and the long branches nearly touched over the center of the street.
“It’s 1434,” she said, directing him to a freshly painted duplex. The cream stucco was accented by gray trim. “I have the back unit. It has a yard, which is going to be great for Diane.”
He pulled into the driveway.
“Park in front of the garage door on the right,” she said. “That’s mine. The entrance is around to the side.”
It took two trips to get Heather, Diane and their belongings into the small rear apartment. The second time he crossed the threshold, he found Heather pulling open drapes to let in the bright May sunshine and warm southern California air.
“One of the reasons I rented this place was the garden,” she said.
Jim crossed the room to stand beside her. The backyard was surprisingly large, with several trees and a row of rosebushes along a painted white fence. There were squares of freshly sprouted vegetables to the right, and on the left, a patch of brightly colored flowers.
“You’ve put a lot of work into it,” he said.
“It’s how I relax. There’s nothing like digging in the dirt to make me forget my troubles.” She waved one hand to indicate the living room. “I know it’s not much, but it’s mine.”
The room was large with a tweed sectional sofa in warm earth tones while colorful rugs were scattered across a worn hardwood floor.
There were plants in baskets, several small tables with books and magazines, and a television that looked at least a half-dozen years old.
Behind him was the eating area, with a light oak round table and four chairs.
The whole place was clean and neat, with a welcoming, homey feeling.
Heather obviously didn’t have a lot of money to spend, but she’d made the most of what she had.
“I like it,” he said.
“Want to see Diane’s room?” she asked shyly.
“Sure.”
He followed her down a short hallway. On the left, through an open doorway, he caught sight of a bed covered with a white lacy spread.
There were piles of pillows and lace curtains at the windows.
Without wanting to, he could picture Heather stretched out on that bed, her arms open, waiting for him… .
He shook off the thoughts, telling himself they were worse than inappropriate.
The woman had given birth the day before.
She didn’t know him from a rock and she trusted him to be a decent person.
He wasn’t about to let her down. So what if he thought she was attractive and he liked her?
His personal feelings had no bearing on the situation.
He owed her respect and friendship, not lust and desire.
“She’s in here,” Heather said as she entered the bedroom on the right.
This room had clearly been intended as the master.
It was big and had large windows that overlooked a side garden filled with flowering vines and roses.
To the left, against the far wall, was a computer desk, two tall bookcases and three filing cabinets.
The walls were cream and undecorated. But to the right, the room was a baby’s idea of paradise.
Yellow walls had been edged with a bunny rabbit border.
Bright prints hung on the walls and there were soft fabric balloons floating down from the ceiling.
Heather stood next to a maple bassinet and gazed down at her daughter.
“When I found out I was pregnant, I switched bedrooms,” she said.
“This way, I can spend the day with Diane and still be able to work. The computer is quiet enough to let her sleep, as is my laser printer.” She touched the side of the bassinet.
“One of my friends from the factory loaned me this for the first couple of months.”
Jim glanced around and saw a white changing table. There was a partially assembled matching dresser and a narrow box containing a crib pushed up against a wall.
She followed his gaze. “I might be slow, but I’ll get it all done.”
“I don’t doubt your ability,” he said as he walked over to the dresser. It looked simple enough. “I could put these two pieces together—” he jerked his thumb toward the crib box “—in about two hours. I don’t have the right tools with me, but I can bring them by later.”
Heather shook her head. “You’ve done enough, Jim.”
He went to stand next to her. “You’ve got to be tired and sore, not to mention feeling the weight of your new responsibility.”
He glanced down at the sleeping baby. Her hair was a little darker than her mother’s, but he could see the resemblance in the shape of her mouth and ears. No doubt as Diane got older, their relationship would be more obvious.
“But—”
He held up his hand to stop her. “Tell you what. I’m heading over to my office for a few hours. I’ll call you around three. At that time you can give me a shopping list. Since you didn’t plan to have your baby yesterday, I doubt you’ve got supplies in. Right?”
She stared at him. “Who are you? Why are you doing all this?”
“Because I want to,” he answered lightly, dancing around the truth.
He helped because it gave him the illusion of belonging and doing the right thing.
Because these simple acts held the demons at bay.
“Between now and then, make up a grocery list and I’ll stop on my way over.
If you’re up to company, I’ll put together the dresser and the crib.
If you’re worried about trusting me, I have references. ”
Diane stirred. Heather dropped her gaze to her child, then returned it to him. “Do you make a habit of rescuing people?”
“It’s my hobby.”
“I want to ask why, but I have a funny feeling you wouldn’t tell me.”
He didn’t respond. They both knew she was right.
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and bit her lower lip. “I’m very tough and capable. I don’t actually need you to help me.”
“Agreed. But wouldn’t it be nice to be able to let someone else take on some of the responsibility, even just for a couple of hours?”
She had long, pale lashes and a couple of freckles dotting her nose. Her full mouth turned up at the corners. “I would like to curl up and take a nap.”
“So go for it. Write down your phone number, and I’ll call about three. Oh, and I need to move the car seat into your car. Which is probably still parked at your doctor’s office. We’ll talk about that later, too.”
“You’re right…about all of it.” She smiled. “I know it’s probably getting boring to hear, but thank you. Again.”
“My pleasure,” he said lightly, and he meant it. Not just because Heather appealed to him, but because helping her allowed him to pretend, if only for a while, that everything was fine.