She wanted to prove all of them wrong.
Im so glad your job is working out, Allie said.
Me, too. So its doubly important I dont mess things up by making this trip to Houston something it isnt. Im helping Max to make a good impression on his potential client. And if that means putting Kaylee in the magazine ad, Ill do that, too. But thats it. Really.
Allie sighed.
What?
I just think you and Max would be cute together. Even if he does claim to not like kids.
That stopped her. He actually doesnt like kids?
Hes never said so. But he has a policy of not dating women with children, Allie clarified. So I gather hes not that crazy about them.
Jane thought back to his attitude her first week at the Remington Agency. Maybe he really didnt like children. Just because hed playacted for Ellen Lowensteins sake didnt mean anything.
Well, that does it, then, Jane said with finality. Im not going to even think about hooking up with some guy who doesnt like kids, even if he were willing, which he apparently isnt. So stop playing matchmaker. Youve got romance on the brain.
But romance is nice. A lot nicer than I imagined. She got that dreamy look in her eye, the one she got whenever her thoughts turned to Cooper.
Jane rolled her eyes. Just because you fell in love with a Remington doesnt mean everyone has to.
Sara did. She had worse odds than you to overcome.
I beg to disagree. No, Allie. No, no, no. Get it out of your mind.
Allie sighed again. Well table this discussion. For now. But when you get back from Houston, I want a full report.
JANE COULDNT REMEMBER the last time shed been to a baseball game. When she was dating Scott, probably, back when he was still trying to impress her as well as his boss. Before the game Scott had critiqued every aspect of her appearance down to the height of her heels and her color of nail polish. Then theyd sat in his companys box, and Scott had paraded her in front of the company muckety-mucks like so much eye candy.
Which was exactly what shed been. Hed even told her not to talk too much at the game, not that shed wanted to because all anyone wanted to talk about was technology and the stock market.
Todays experience was shaping up to be quite different. For one thing, she wore flip-flops and had her hair pulled back in a ponytail.
For another, they actually watched the game. Ellen Lowenstein was a rabid Astros fan. When they did talk, it was about kids and families and hometowns. Ellen was a widow with no children, as it turned out, but she loved kids and had naturally fallen into designing childrens clothes after a college internship with another kids clothing label. She had loads of nieces and nephews, many of whom shed invited to tonights game, so their luxurious skybox was in a constant state of happy uproar.
Max pulled Jane into his conversation with Ellen at every opportunity. But at no time did he mention that he and Jane werent married. Kaylee split her time playing with the other kids, eating popcorn, and crawling on whatever adult would pay attention to her. Max was one. He seemed surprisingly natural with Kaylee and the other children. More playacting? Or did he have another reason for staying away from single moms?
After Kaylee referred to Max as Max rather than Daddy a few times, Jane was sure Ellen would say something. But instead she just laughed. My niece Dana refuses to call her father Daddy, too.
Jane gave Max a pointed look, but he pretended not to see.
Finally, at the seventh-inning stretch, Jane cornered Max at the cooler, when they both went for bottled water at the same time. Are you going to tell her? she whispered.
Max looked pained. Its going so well.
Its going to go very badly if she thinks you lied to her. The longer you wait, the worse it will be.
Does she really have to know? You wont even see her again after tonight.
Maxwell Remington. You promised. You promised me you would tell her the truth.
Okay, okay. Justnot here, in front of all these people. Tomorrow well have more of a business meeting, when we take the tour. Ill tell her then.
Jane wasnt too pleased with his procrastination. But she didnt feel mean enough to just blurt out the truth to Ellen. She did want Max to get the account, and her decision wasnt completely unselfish. If Maxs agency went under, she would be without a paycheck.
All right, but dont expect me to lie. Not outright.
I dont.
One of the other children bumped into Maxs leg. Max steadied him with an indulgent smile.
Janes heart flipped. Allie was wrong-he was a natural with kids. Every time she saw him with Kaylee, so gentle, really listening to what she had to say and talking to her as if she was as important as any adult, she wanted to cry.
Why couldnt Scott have been that kind of father? If only he had been decent to Kaylee, Jane could have overlooked all the rest. But hed ignored her on good days and yelled at her on bad ones. When he was home at all, which was hardly ever.
If she could find a man who would be a good father to Kaylee, she would marry him, even if she didnt love him. Her remarkable little girl deserved two caring, involved parents.
She cautioned herself not to think of Max that way. If shed ever met a confirmed bachelor, he was it. Shed seen his little black book, so stuffed with names and phone numbers and cross-outs that it threatened to burst its seams. Shed seen the way women threw themselves at him. Even tonight, a couple of single women in the group were flirting with him.
He shot them down, of course. He wouldnt want Ellen to think he was a philanderer. But if not for that, Jane guessed he would have had himself a conquest.
When the game was over, everyones mood was jubilant, celebrating the Astros win. Jane pushed her morose thoughts out of her head and joined in the laughter. How often did she get a fun-filled night like this?
Ellen had insisted they take a limo back to their hotel rather than wait in a long taxi line. Now, relaxed in the cool interior, Jane felt a strange lethargy creep over her.
Oh, yes, she could get used to this again. Being poor was a drag. Having to worry about paying the bills, having to weigh every penny she spent and forgo so many of the luxuries that had become habit-it was a lot harder than shed thought it would be.
Her mother, ever the font of wisdom, had suggested she find herself another rich husband as quickly as she could, and Jane had turned her nose up at the advice.
But, yeah, she could get used to this.
And she could definitely get used to pretending Max was her husband. Especially when Kaylee, exhausted from all the excitement, crawled into his lap and he cuddled her just as if she really were his daughter.
Dangerous, dangerous territory.
MAX THOUGHT HE HAD NEVER seen a more angelic little girl. When she was asleep, at least. Awake, Kaylee could scream and whine and throw things with the best of them. But asleep, she was all sugar-and-spice.
Hannah had been just a little older than Kaylee when Max and her mother, Alicia, had first started dating. Back then, Max had known nothing about children. But Hannah had accepted him readily into her life, and soon the three of them had done everything as a family-pizza nights, kids videos. Max had even helped chaperone a slumber party, a situation that had made Cooper and Reece shudder when he told them.
It was only when Alicia had started pushing for marriage that Max had taken a step back and looked long and hard at his life. Hed come to the uncomfortable realization that he didnt love Alicia.
He loved Hannah. He loved the warm, family feel of being around the little girl and her mother, a feeling that had been totally lacking in his own childhood. But at twenty-eight years old hed not been ready for marriage. And even if he had been, he wouldnt have married a woman he wasnt in love with.
He glanced over at Jane, who was watching him.
Shes really wiped out, she whispered, nodding to Kaylee.
Big day.
She didnt even have a nap today, she was so excited. Shell sleep like a stone tonight.
Thats good, because tomorrows another big day.
The limousine stopped in front of the Hotel Alexander, and Kaylee stirred and rubbed her eyes. We home?
Sort of.
The driver opened the limo door, and Kaylee clambered off of Maxs lap to follow her mother as she exited the vehicle. Mommy, look! Kaylee tugged on Janes clothes, pointing to a giant stuffed elephant that someone was trying to fit through the revolving door, with little success.
Jane laughed. Uh-oh. Guess that elephant had too much dinner.
Max got out and tipped the driver, then the three of them-Max, Jane and Kaylee, the pseudo-family-headed for the hotel door.
The man with the elephant had set his stuffed toy on the ground while he shuffled his other bags and packages. The temptation was too much for Kaylee and she took off toward the giant plush animal. Unfortunately, before she could get to it an uneven paving stone tripped her up. She went flying and landed with an audible thud.
Maxs heart jumped into his throat as he and Jane rushed forward, reaching Kaylee just as she started wailing in pain and outright fury.
Before Max could caution the child not to move she pushed herself up. He saw the blood on her elbow and almost passed out. She also had a small scrape on her chin.
The hotels doorman rushed over. Do you need medical help?
Yes! Max shouted. Call for an ambulance. Dear God, Kaylee was bleeding.
But Jane was the voice of reason. No, she said firmly, theres no need for an ambulance. She gathered up the distraught child, taking a quick inventory. I think well be all right. She produced a tissue and blotted at the blood. Kaylee, honey, tell me where it hurts.
She pointed to the scrape on her arm.
Ouchy. Lets go to our room and put some medicine on that.
Kaylee continued to cry, and Jane picked her up and held her close, rocking her. Poor sweetie. I know it hurts. Itll feel better soon.
Are you sure nothings broken? Max asked. We can take her to a doctor, or the emergency room-
Nothings broken. She just tripped and scraped her arm, thats all.
Max admired the calm, soothing way Jane handled the situation. By the time theyd reached the elevator, Kaylee was more whimpering than crying, and by the time theyd reached their two-bedroom suite on the ninth floor, shed quieted down completely. However, her big, tear-filled eyes nearly did Max in.