Toys and Baby Wishes (16 page)

"So you're not going to do anything," Josh
grumbled.

"There's one thing I can do.  I'll notify patrol cars
in Lexa's area to keep watch.  Will that make you feel better?"

"Some."  But not enough.  "Thanks, Mark.  I
know you'll do what you can.  Call me as soon as you find out about Stanley.  Anytime."  He gave Mark Lexa's number and address.  "If I'm not home,
I'll be at Lexa's."

Mark tried to be comforting.  "Who knows?  We might get
lucky with those prints."

The next morning, Josh wasn't willing to hope they'd get
lucky.  He didn't want Lexa in any danger, physically or emotionally.  She had
awakened in the middle of the night with a nightmare and slept fitfully after
that.  He hadn't slept much either because he was too busy planning what he was
going to do.

After he dropped the note at the police station, he went to Stanley's office.  Striding in purposefully, he stopped at the secretary's desk.  "I
want to see Mr. Stanley.  Now," Josh said firmly and calmly.

"I'm afraid that's not possible at the moment.  Mr.
Stanley's on the phone."

Josh's chin jutted out with determination.  "I'll
wait.  But not long."

"And you're name, sir?"

"Flannigan.  Joshua Flannigan."

"This in with regards to...?"

"A personal matter."

When the secretary saw Stanley's phone light go off, she
buzzed him.  "There's a man here to see you.  A Mr. Flannigan."

With a "send him in," Josh went into Stanley's inner office and ignored his gesture to sit down.  "I don't need to sit, Stanley.  I came to make one thing perfectly clear.  Stay away from Alexandra Kittredge. 
Don't make any more phone calls, don't go near her office or home, and keep
your hands off of her property.  If you don't, you will have to deal with me
and the police department."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Mr.
Flannigan."

Josh knew better.  He saw the creases in Stanley's brow, the
shift of his eyes, the worry around his mouth.  "I know you do.  I stopped
in to let you know if one intelligent woman can guess your game, it won't be
long until others do, too.  So watch your step, Stanley."

Stanley recovered his smooth exterior.  "Your
accusations have no substance, Flannigan.  Of course I'm not happy with Ms.
Kittredge's ideas of my business acumen.  Her comments have been somewhat
detrimental.  But this is America and everyone is entitled to their own
thoughts and expression of them.  Now, if you don't mind, I have business to
attend to."

Josh lifted the heavy bronze paperweight on Stanley's desk,
held it in his palm, looked at Stanley, and set the object back down with a
loud thump.  "I'll leave.  But remember.  You step on Alexandra
Kittredge's toes, you step on mine.  My temper is not nearly as placid as
hers."  With a last piercing look at Stanley, Josh turned his back and
left.

Josh insisted on taking Lexa out to a posh restaurant for a
late dinner that evening.  She seemed to be her usual self, simply a little
quieter.  Afterwards, he took her to his apartment.  When she laid her coat
over the back of the sofa, he came up behind her, turned her around, and gave
her a bear hug.  She burrowed into his shoulder and held tight.

"You can tell me what you're feeling, Lexa."

She leaned back and looked up.  "I just feel
restless."

He didn't believe that for a minute.  "Not
afraid?"

"No."  She pulled away, frustrated by her need to
be held in his arms.  She was afraid if she needed him too much, she'd be
swallowed up and she wouldn't know her place in the world.  As an independent
woman, she did.  As a person in control of her own life, she did.  As a
caregiver, she did.  This relationship with Josh was stirring up a hornet's
nest of needs she had either denied or forgotten.

"It's okay to be scared," he said softly, moving
his hands down to cup her elbows.

"I wish you'd stop analyzing what I'm feeling.  If I
want you to know, I'll tell you."

"Will you?  Lexa, don't you understand the relationship
I want with you?  The kind of sharing?  I don't want simply your time.  I want
you.  Why are you fighting me?"

She pulled away from his hands until she was standing free. 
"Sometimes I don't know who I am when I'm with you.  You make me need and
want, and that scares me."

"Tell me when you're scared.  I'll do what I can to fix
it."

She started shaking her head before he finished speaking. 
"I don't want you to fix anything.  I have to sort all this out, Josh, and
I have to do it alone."

He was going to protest, but the doorbell interrupted him.

Lexa asked, "Are you expecting someone?"

"No."  Josh answered the door, and let Mark Gibson
inside.

The detective said, "I have news for you."

Mark nodded to Lexa.  "Hello, Ms. Kittredge.  I'm the
one who's been looking into Ted Stanley's background."

She motioned for him to sit down while she and Josh sat on
the sofa.

Mark took the chair across from them.  "I got the
lowdown late last night.  It seems Mr. Stanley has as many aliases as a tree
has branches.  He's wanted for fraud in three states and only God knows how
many people he's rooked."

"How long has he been doing this?" Josh asked.

Mark looked at the note pad in his hand.  "The last
five years as far as we can tell.  He's never in any hurry.  He planned to
settle down for a year or so, take in as much as he could, then move on. 
That's his MO.  But something scared him off."  Mark gave Josh a speaking
glance.  "Or someone.  When we arrived at his office with a warrant, he
was packing up ready to skip town.  Any idea why, Josh?"

"How would Josh know?" Lexa asked, confused.

"Got me.  What about it, Josh?  You were pretty hot
under the collar last night."

"Josh?" Lexa asked.

"Look.  I knew you wouldn't accept an around-the-clock
bodyguard, so I paid Stanley a visit this morning."

"You didn't!"  One stark thought crossed her
mind.  Josh had put himself in danger for her.  "You told me to stay away
from him.  Why didn't you?  Who knows what he might have done."

"Simmer down."  Josh capped her knee.  "Last
night Mark as much as told me con-men are cowards."

"I never told you to confront him, Josh," his
friend said with a baleful glare.

"I wasn't being foolish.  I used the information you
gave me and made a calculated decision.  All I did was warn him Lexa was off
limits."

"You threatened him," Mark translated.

"No.  I encouraged him to stay away from Lexa."

"He could have skipped town.  I'd have to arrest you
for obstructing justice."

When Lexa looked at Josh with astonishment, he squeezed her
knee.  "This guy's trying to throw his weight around.  It makes him feel
important."

"The point is..." Mark began.

"The point is," Josh interrupted, "He didn't
skip town and you caught him.  I am sorry I interfered, but Lexa had to be my
main concern."

Mark shook his head and muttered, "Stubborn
Irishman."

Lexa couldn't scold Josh when he had her interests at
heart.  She admired him more than she had ever admired any man.  But she was
concerned about her friends.  "What about the money Stanley took?  Will it
be returned?"

"When we confiscated his records, we found a slew of
checks that hadn't been cashed.  My guess is he was going to do it soon, but
hadn't gotten around to it.  Those checks are null and void.  For the ones he
did cash, the money can probably be recovered, but claims will have to be made,
papers filed, a court process gone through.  It will take time."

He stood, his business finished.  "I won't take up any
more of your time.  Both of you have been a big help."  He looked at
Josh.  "Stay out of trouble."

Josh saw Mark to the door.  When he returned to the living
room, he looked boyishly delinquent.

Lexa couldn't be angry with him.  "Thank you."

He sat down close to her.  "For what?"

"For protecting me.  For putting yourself in
danger."

His smile was tender.  "I wasn't in any danger.  I'm
six inches taller than Stanley is and twice as fit."

"Still..."

He brushed her bangs away from her forehead.  "I'd do
anything to protect you."

"Josh, I'm a big girl."

"I know.  But even big girls need protectors now and
then."

Could she accept him as that?  Could she accept his need to
be a white knight?

CHAPTER NINE

Lexa snuggled next to Josh the following evening and dipped
into a bowl of popcorn while they watched a movie.  She'd never felt more
contented in her life.  She hadn't told Josh again that she loved him since
she'd said it in the heat of passion.  She did love him--with all her heart. 
And that made her even more afraid to tell him her secret.  What if she lost
him?

Every time she started to say it, her tongue stuck to the
roof of her mouth and she longed for just another day of not facing his
reaction.  If she told him right now...

The telephone rang and she breathed a sigh of relief.  Josh
pushed the button on the remote, stopping the DVD.

Reaching around him to the end table, Lexa picked up the
receiver.  "Hello."

"Lexa, it's Dani."

"What is it?"

"I fell.  Now, it's nothing to worry about so don't get
upset."

"Are you okay?  Have you seen your doctor?"

"Yes.  This happened last night.  He says I'm fine,
that babies are well protected.  But I'm scared."

"Do you want me to come get you and take you
home?"

"I don't want to go home.  I want to stay here.  Can
you come up for a few days?  Please?"

"But what about your roommate?"

"She can bunk in with a friend.  She says it's okay. 
Please, Lexa.  Can you come up?  I do feel okay, but the whole thing scared
me.  I'd feel so much better if you were here."

Lexa thought about her schedule for the next few days--the
appointments, meetings for the teen center, Josh.  But the habit of caring for
Dani for years made her ask, "Honey, are you okay for tonight or do you
want me to come right away?"

"I'd like you here as soon as you can come, but
tomorrow morning's okay.  I'm sorry about this.  I didn't want to call."

"Don't worry about it.  I'll leave early tomorrow
morning.  You take care of yourself, you hear?  And call the doctor if you have
any problems."

"I will.  I'll see you tomorrow."

Josh asked, "What's wrong?"

Lexa told him, then picked up the phone again.  "I've
got to call my secretary.  She should be okay tomorrow, and I won't have to
worry about the weekend.  If she feels she can handle the interviews, I'm going
to let her keep my appointments."

While Lexa was on the phone, Josh was thinking.  The doctor
said Dani was all right.  Dani was in a dorm surrounded by people if she needed
any help.  He could understand Lexa wanting to visit, to see if Dani was all
right, but the plans she was making made it seem as if she was going to stay
for a long visit.

After Lexa gave her secretary directions and Dani's number
in case something cropped up she couldn't handle, Lexa hung up.  Her brow was
creased with wrinkles of worry.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Josh asked.

"No.  I have to pack, stop at the office tomorrow
morning for some files before I go."

"What time are you leaving?"

"About six."

"Do you have to go so early?"

Lexa hooked her hair behind her ear and picked up a pen and
note pad to jot down reminders.  "She wanted me to come up tonight."

"Lexa, don't you think you might be overreacting?  The
doctor said she's okay.  Why don't you wait, call him tomorrow morning to get
specifics, and then decide what you're going to do and how long you want to
stay.  I can take you up if you want to spend the day and make sure she's
okay."

Lexa's head jerked up.  "Josh, I'm going to stay more
than a day.  I want to make sure she's taking proper care of herself.  A few
days of rest will do her good.  She'll get that if I'm there.  She needs
me."

"Does she?  Or does she want you there?"

"At the moment it doesn't matter."   When he
frowned, Lexa said,  "Josh, you've never had brothers or sisters.  You
don't understand how she depends on me."

That was the problem.  "She's twenty-one years old. 
The dependence has to stop sometime."

"It can't stop now.  She doesn't have anyone else to
give her moral support."

"I don't believe that, Lexa.  Certainly she has friends
at college.  There are counselors."

"That's not the same.  She's my sister.  I have to do
everything I can."

"As usual."

Lexa gave him a wary look.  "What's wrong, Josh?"

He knew he was going to tread on sacred territory. 

Lexa went still.  "Just say it."

"I think you're too accessible to Dani.  She calls and
you go running.  I don't think it's good for her and I don't think it's good
for you."

Lexa was shaking her head even before he finished.  "I
don't agree."

"I didn't think you would."  He shook his head. 
"Tell me something, Lexa.  If I had called, would you have dropped
everything, forgotten about work and meetings to help me?"

"Of course I would."

His eyes narrowed.

"Don't you know that?"

"I know that you do as much as you possibly can for
everyone."  He debated with himself, then added,  "But I'm not sure
how your priorities line up."

She put the pen and pad on the coffee table and slid toward
him.  While she caressed his cheek, she fitted her soft curves into his hard
body.  "I love you, Josh.  Believe me, I do."

He stroked up and down her back.  He wanted her to need
him.  He wanted to come first in her life.  After Dani's baby was born, would
Lexa turn all her devotion to the child?  Would she have time for a husband? 
Their relationship had to come first for a marriage to be strong.  Marriage? 
When had he begun thinking about marriage?  And how could he even contemplate
it when Lexa didn't trust him enough to tell him she couldn't have children?