Undercover Father (9 page)

Before Megan could say anything, another man came down the hallway, a lean gentleman in his middle sixties, wearing jeans, boots and a simple white shirt that contrasted starkly with his tanned skin. He saw Megan and Brittany, nodded to them and kept going right out of the center.

“Oh, boy,” Brittany muttered, but before she could say anything else Mary arrived, looking flustered. When she saw them, she stopped, taking the time to smooth her hair before she came closer. Brittany said, “The Barnes boy will be picked up in a few minutes. His mother got tied up with work. And the twins are heading out by six. Anthony and I are off to Dad’s tonight for dinner. Matt has to work late.”

They had said Rafe would be there at six to get the boys, so Megan had a while to get out. She hadn’t really spoken to him since that day when Gabe had tried to leave, and she was certain Rafe was trying to avoid her. Not that she blamed him, after what she’d said about the boys’ mother, his wife.

“Thanks, Brittany,” Mary said. “If you could put away the paper, it would be very appreciated.”

“Of course.” The other woman looked at Megan. “Fun, fun, fun,” she said, and headed off to collect the scattered pages on the floor.

“Do you have those copies for me?” Mary asked.

“Oh, yes. Here.” She handed her the file. “The contracts are in there, and also the readouts of the funding procedure you agreed on before. Some charts of the expenses, as well.”

“A little light reading before bed,” she joked as she took the papers.

Welcome to the club,
Megan thought. She had tons of reading ahead of her tonight, too. “Just let me know if you have any questions?”

Brittany reappeared. “Anthony and I are leaving now.”

“Thanks for the help,” Mary said. Brittany said her goodbyes and the two of them left.

Gabe and Greg were in the corner, Megan noticed, cleaned up from the paint and hunkered down over something she couldn’t see.

“These are the final readouts?” Mary asked her.

“Yes, I believe so.” Then she remembered something. “Oh, no, I was supposed to pick up an envelope for you at the desk in Legal and I totally forgot. Ellen had it—still has it,” she said with a grimace. “She was there when I left, so—”

“No problem.” Mary started toward the center entranceway. “I’ll go and get it from Ellen. Stay with the kids for a few minutes?” She didn’t wait for a response before she was out the door.

“Great,” Megan muttered, glancing at the boys, who were still focused on something across the room. She looked around, then shrugged. “A few minutes.” She could do a few minutes.

She moved back, saw a small bench by the climbing tree and sank down on it, feeling like Gulliver in the land of the Lilliputians. She looked over at the boys, who both stood and gazed over their shoulders at her at the same time. Once the Barnes boy was picked up, Megan turned her attention back to the twins.

One whispered something to the other, then with their hands behind their backs, they came over to stand in front of her, one behind the other. Greg was the closest.

“What are you two up to?” she asked warily.

“Here,” Greg said, and thrust something toward her that he cradled in both hands.

She looked down at the biggest rat she’d ever seen, just inches from her face, and couldn’t stop the scream.

* * *

R
AFE
HEARD
A
SHATTERING
scream just as he approached the doors to the center, and without taking time to think, he rushed inside. Gabe and Greg were running around the main room, chasing something. Then he saw her—Megan. She was scrambling to get up off the floor, pushing a small stool to one side to make room, and she was yelling, “Catch it! Catch it!” to the boys as she hugged her arms around herself.

The boys were squealing, rushing behind the tree. When they came out the other side, Rafe finally saw what they were after. A rat. A huge white-and-black rat, outrunning the boys and heading straight for Megan. She saw it at the same time he did, and moved faster than anyone he’d ever seen move in his life. She darted to her right, away from the tree and right toward him.

He held out his hands and managed to partially break the impact when they collided, but he couldn’t stop her impetus. Falling backward, Rafe was drenched in that subtle fragrance that he realized was unique to Megan. Moments later he found himself on the floor, flat on his back, with Megan standing above him.

Those blue eyes widened, then there was a gasp and she moved back. He pushed himself up onto his elbows. Pale slacks that he’d bet had been immaculate moments ago were rumpled and had smudges of green on one hip now. Her silky blouse had come untucked on one side, the top button undone, and one errant strand of hair had escaped from the confines of a low knot.

She looked down at him, shock stamped on her face, then spun around. The boys were going into the opening of the tree, scrambling in one after the other. When they’d disappeared, their squeals of delight still echoed out of the opening. “Get him,” Megan called, hurrying over to the tree. She dropped to her knees, looking inside. “Get him!”

Rafe pushed himself to his feet, then followed. “Excuse me?”

“Hurry, hurry, he’ll get to the other side!”

“Hello?” he said, hunkering down by her and finally letting himself touch her back. He felt the silkiness of the blouse. He drew back quickly, then said louder, “Megan, hello?”

She scooted back on her heels, then looked up at him. “It’s a rat. Greg tried to give it to me.”

“He what?”

“A rat. A huge rat, and I screamed and fell and it got away, and they’re trying to catch it.”

Rafe looked at her, at her huge blue eyes. “They were tormenting you with a rat?” he asked, trying very hard not to smile at the way she jumped when one of the boys yelled, “There, over there!”

She got to her feet, looking around the room. “Don’t just stand there. Do something,” she said.

“Like what?”

She shook her hands quickly, as if trying to get rid of a creepy feeling. “I don’t know!” she exclaimed, almost jumping up and down now. “Just get him.”

She was clearly terrified of the animal—very likely the resident rat called Charlie, part of the day care center’s menagerie. “I’ve got a gun,” Rafe said, making a joke.

She looked horrified. “Oh, no, no,” she gasped, before realization dawned. “That’s not funny!”

Right then one of the twins scrambled out of the tree and pushed between the two of them. “We got him,” he announced, and started to hold the rat up toward Megan.

Rafe picked up the animal gently but deftly. “I’ll take that thing,” he said, holding the squirming rat carefully in both hands. “Now, you two tell me what you think you were doing, scaring Megan like that.”

Unexpectedly, she interrupted. “No, that wasn’t what happened.” Both boys looked up at her now. “They were just showing it to me...I think. I hate rats, and I overreacted. It wasn’t their fault.”

Both sets of dark eyes were on him now. Rafe hesitated. “Is that true?” he asked the boys.

Greg spoke up. “Gabe said she’d like Charlie, and he told me to show it to her.”

A gift to Megan? That shocked Rafe as much as her scream had moments ago. Neither boy, but especially Gabe, had taken to many women since their mother’s death. And Megan certainly wasn’t trying to win them over. That thought stopped him. Win them over? No, she wouldn’t do that; he was sure of it. Yet in some way she had. “Okay. Just apologize, and next time, warn her, okay?”

They both nodded. Rafe gave the rat to Greg, who turned to Megan, holding the animal against his chest. “Sorry,” he said.

Gabe stood there, head down, and Rafe touched his hair. “Son, apologize.”

He exhaled, then looked up at Megan. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

Rafe wasn’t sure what to expect of Megan, but it wasn’t to see her crouch in front of both boys and actually smile at them. “It’s the thought that counts,” she said. “And as far as rats go, I’m sure he’s a lovely one. I just never liked the creatures.”

“Girls don’t,” Greg said.

“This girl doesn’t.”

“Why don’t you two put him away and make sure he’s got water?” Rafe said.

Greg turned and darted off with the rat, but Gabe hung back, then dug his hand into his overalls pocket and held something out to Megan. “Here,” he said. “It’s okay.”

It was a cookie with a distinct bite out of one side and something red on the other. Megan looked at the object in his small hand, then smiled at Gabe. “For me?”

“Uh-huh,” he said with a nod.

Rafe held his breath, knowing how much it meant to Gabe to have her take it, but not sure she’d do so. “Well, thank you. This is so nice of you.” She took the cookie, and Rafe breathed again.

Gabe darted off after his brother, and Rafe looked at Megan, who was staring at the cookie in her hand. “First a rat, now...”

“A half-eaten cookie, and it’s chocolate chip, which is one of his absolute favorites.” Rafe tried to sound casual, but he was stunned by what had just happened. “You are such a liar,” he found himself saying.

“Excuse me?” she asked, her blue eyes widening.

“You said that you weren’t good with kids.”

She blushed at his words. “I’m not. Believe me.”

“You’ve got a magic touch with the boys. They don’t like many people, and for Gabe to give you his cookie...” Rafe shrugged. “All I can say is you’re one lucky lady.” He moved closer and touched the cookie she still held in her open hand. “And you’ve got an extra something on it, too.” He tapped the red area. “Any idea what that is?”

He leaned in to get a better look at the cookie at the same she did. This time, though, she jerked back just before they hit heads again. The cookie fell to the floor and he stooped to get it, then looked at her. “Stand back. I think we’re pretty lethal when we get too close.”

Words meant to be a joke made her face flame, and Rafe tried to think of something, anything to blot out the image that was there with crystal clarity. The kiss. He’d blocked it out until this moment, and now the memories came rushing back. They stood there, their eyes locked, and he didn’t know what to do, what to say. Because if he did what he wanted right then, he’d kiss her again.

CHAPTER EIGHT

M
EGAN
HURRIED
PAST
Rafe, calling to Mary as soon as she saw her return, “Good, you’re back. I need to get going.”

“Of course, dear,” the woman said as Megan went through the door, never looking back at Rafe or the boys. “And thank you for the paperwork!”

Megan crossed over to the elevators, got in and hit the button. Moments later she stepped out in Legal and stopped dead.

This wasn’t where she was supposed to be going. She was supposed to be heading to her car. She’d been ready to leave before she went down to the center. Whatever had gone on with Rafe had left her flustered, and she hadn’t been thinking clearly. She looked around and noted Ellen was nowhere in sight. Megan went past reception and back to her cubicle.

She sank down on the chair behind her desk, took her earpiece out of her pocket and adjusted it, then said into the microphone, “Ryan. Home.” She hadn’t been able to reach him for two days, and the last time they talked, he’d been very distracted. Now she really needed to speak to him.

When the call connected, she waited through four rings. Just when she thought she was going to get Ryan’s machine again, he answered, and the sound of his voice, so familiar and sane, made her eyes smart.

“Ryan, it’s me.”

“Megan. Hi, there.” He didn’t stop at that, but kept speaking quickly. “You caught me at a bad time. I’ve got a huge meeting with Lennox, the attorney, and I need to get out of here right now.”

“Sure,” she said, almost tasting her disappointment. “I just wanted to...” What? What did she want?

“Anything important?”

“No, it’s not important. Can you call me later?”

“Can’t promise, but I’ll try,” he said. With a quick, “Bye, love,” he was gone.

She hit the disconnect button and sank back in her chair. What had she expected? To hear Ryan’s voice and find her balance again? “Stupid,” she muttered, and stood.

She headed back out and was surprised to see Ellen back at her desk, pushing things into her purse. She must have heard Megan’s steps on the marble floors, because she turned quickly, looking vaguely guilty about something. Ellen exhaled as she pressed a hand to her chest. “Oh, you startled me. I thought everyone was gone for the evening.”

“I was gone, but had to come back up.”

“Oh, if you were looking for the papers for the center, Mary Garner—”

“I know, I took care of it. I just had to make a call.” She passed the desk where the woman was standing. “I’m leaving.”

“Have a good evening,” Ellen said.

“You, too.” Megan got back in the elevator and turned to push the button for the ground level. Ellen was stuffing an envelope into her purse, then she glanced up, gave Megan a forced smile, and the doors of the elevator closed.

Megan closed her eyes tightly as the elevator went downward. When a soft ding signaled the stop and the doors opened, she hesitated, then looked out into an empty hallway. She exited, glanced at the closed doors of the center, and headed back toward the parking garage. She didn’t pause until she was at her car, then stopped dead. Her keys. The keys for the car, and the alarm button. She didn’t have anything in her hands.

She looked in car windows to make sure she hadn’t left the keys in there. But all she saw was her briefcase, her files and the box of letters. Everything but her keys. Then she remembered she’d taken the keys with her to the center. “No, no, no,” she muttered, and slapped the top of the car with the palm of her hand.

Reluctantly, she went back into the building. But when she got to the center, the doors were locked. Mary must be gone, and it was shut up for the night. Megan exhaled. The keys had to be inside, and she had to get in there.

She glanced at her watch and saw it was almost six-thirty. Rafe had to be gone by now. Megan headed to the guard station at the front doors, but it was vacant. She went to the floor directory, saw that Security was on the second floor and went back to the elevators. Moments later she was walking down a long hallway toward the security office. Stepping inside, she saw that the space was large, with monitors lining one wall, computers on several desks and a starkly utilitarian feel to the operation. At first she thought it was vacant, then she saw a guard off to the left near a filing cabinet. She cleared her throat and he turned abruptly.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but I need to get into the day care center. I left my car keys in there, and it’s locked up.”

She thought he was the same guard who had come to the gates at the ball to take Rafe’s place. The man frowned at her, then walked across the room. “Locked out, huh?”

“Yes, I didn’t realize my keys were in there until it was too late. I hope you can help me?”

“Sure, no problem.” He reached for a phone on the nearest desk, punched in several numbers, then spoke into the receiver. “Meet an employee at the day care center, and—” He stopped abruptly, frowned, then said, “It won’t take two minutes. Just open up for her.” He listened for a moment, then hung up. “You go on down, and someone will be waiting for you. Just show him your ID and he’ll open up the center.”

Her ID? It was in her briefcase in the car. “Thanks so much,” Megan said, and headed back down again, trying to figure out how to prove who she was to the guard. When she stepped out of the elevator, she saw that the door to the center was partially ajar. She pushed it open and entered the room, which was softly lit by security lights around the ceiling.

“Hello?” she called out. “The man upstairs sent me down to get my keys.”

As she stepped forward she sensed movement to her right, and turned just as Rafe came out of the shadows. Her heart lurched. He was supposed to have left with his kids, not be emerging out of the shadows, with his cap gone, his tie undone and his uniform shirt unbuttoned at the throat.

“You’re not supposed to be here,” she said.

“Oh? And you are?” he asked.

“I meant, you were supposed to be off duty.”

He shrugged. “Sorry I’m still here. But I’m more than willing to leave if you don’t need me.”

“I’ll just look around for my keys. Go ahead and leave, and I’ll close up when I find them,” she said, a bit uneasy that the twins might run out at any moment and bring the rat with them. “Where are your boys?”

“Home with their babysitter. I pulled some extra time when someone else didn’t show up for work and Carmella came to get them. And I can’t leave you alone here. I need to lock up, make sure things are secure.” He waved a hand in a sweeping motion. “Go ahead, take your best shot. Look for your keys. I’ll wait.”

That’s what she was afraid of. Him waiting right there, watching her. She turned and headed to the tree, toward the stool she’d used. But as she looked for her keys, all she really was aware of was Rafe, watching her. She dropped to her knees on the carpet, pushing a hand into the hole in the tree and groping around. But she didn’t feel anything.

“Any luck?” Rafe asked from behind her.

She stood and turned. “No.” She brushed her hands together. “Mary must have found them.”

“That’s possible,” he conceded. “I could call her, but I think she mentioned she was going out for the evening.” He moved off into the shadows past the tree. “I’ll look in her office and see if she put them in there,” he called over his shoulder.

He was lost in the dimness until a light flashed, spilling out into the hallway from Mary’s office. Megan heard shuffling, then a thumping sound, and she remembered him going into her loft to look for the “intruder.” Then, she’d been afraid he’d be hurt, that he’d encounter something dangerous, but now she was afraid for herself.

The light went out and she knew he was coming back. She took a tight breath. There was nothing remotely personal about what they were doing in here, but she felt an intimacy that was totally out of order, and crazy.

She moved back as he came closer. “No keys in there, unless she locked them up somewhere,” he said.

“I can probably get replacement keys from the car rental agency, but the loft keys—”

“It may already be closed.”

“Then I’ll call a taxi.” That wouldn’t help. Even if she got a cab, and borrowed money from Rafe to pay for it, she couldn’t get into the loft without the keys. “Never mind. I can’t get into the loft. The ring had all my keys on it.”

“Come on,” he said. “I need to lock up.”

She didn’t have much choice in the matter, so she went with him out of the center. He locked the doors then turned to her. “Use your phone to call the car rental company,” he said, and took out his own cell phone. “I’ll work on the loft.”

Before she could ask him what he thought he could do, he was already punching in a number. She found her earpiece, put it on and called the car company. She was aware of Rafe speaking, but didn’t follow his conversation while she went through the automated options at the rental center. But it was all for nothing. There was no live person to talk to, just a voice mail where she could leave a phone number for emergency towing. She left her cell phone number, just in case, then hung up.

She turned to Rafe, who was still on the phone. “Okay, you’re sure that he’ll be able to let her in?” He listened, then said, “Thanks. I’ll take it from there.” He ended the call and pushed his phone back into his pocket. “Okay, you can get into the loft. One of the tenants has an extra set of keys. Seems they were left so the cat could be fed if he came back and no one was there.” Rafe grinned at her, a very unexpected and endearing expression. “That cat came through for you, kid.”

“Remind me to give him extra tuna,” she murmured, looking away from the smile and the dark eyes touched by it. “I’ll call a taxi and get—”

“You don’t have to.”

She hesitated. “Why not?”

He glanced at his watch, then said, “I’m off in two minutes. I’ve got my car in the garage and I’m going that way.”

She knew it wasn’t a good idea to have him drive her home, but she couldn’t figure out why. “Oh, no, you’ve got things to do, I’m sure, and that’s an inconvenience.”

“No, and no.”

“Excuse me?”

“No, I don’t have things to do, except go home, and no, it’s not an inconvenience.” She hesitated for a long moment, and she saw his smile die. “I can assure you that my car is clean and acceptable.”

The words came out evenly, but she knew it was happening again—him being angry—and she hated it. “I never said that.”

“No, but that’s the problem, isn’t it?”

“No, that’s not it,” she said quickly.

“Then what is?” he asked, standing squarely in front of her, clearly not going anywhere until she answered him.

She couldn’t reveal the truth. How could she tell him that it didn’t matter if he was a guard or a CEO, that the reason she couldn’t take the ride from him was because he was handsome and he gave her ideas that she had no right having? “I...I don’t want to bother you,” she said, and knew how lame that sounded as soon as the words were out of her mouth. “And I’m sure you need to get back to work.”

The smile came back, a mere shadow of the former version. “I’m off now. I’m leaving. If you want to come, come on. If not...” He leaned a bit closer. “Call a taxi on that thing.” He tapped her earpiece. “And have a nice evening.”

She felt foolish and stupid, like some teenager with raging hormones. She hated the way she was aware of his throat at the open neck of his uniform shirt, of the pulse that beat there, and his slightly mussed hair.

A ride. Just a ride. That’s all this was about. “Okay, thanks,” she said.

“Good. Let’s get going,” he answered, and started off, back into the building and down the rear hallway. She kept pace, skipping once to keep up, and by the time they got out into the parking garage, they were side by side.

She looked at her rental car, where everything she needed was locked inside. No work tonight, except for what she could download on the computer at the loft from the company’s database. “I guess it doesn’t matter leaving the car here?”

“No, it’s secure.”

One slot over from her car was an oxidized blue compact that had seen better days. Right beyond it was an SUV with chrome and fancy rims. She followed Rafe toward the cars, and veered off to the passenger door of the old compact. When she looked up, she realized her mistake. Rafe was hitting an alarm button and the lights on the SUV blinked in response. She hurried past the blue car, but Rafe turned before she could totally cover her faux pas.

She didn’t say a thing, but knew her face flamed. Walking quickly, she reached the SUV, where Rafe held the door open for her. As she got in, she turned, and they were at eye level for a moment, inches apart. She hated the look in those eyes. All she could do was apologize, but before she could say anything, he closed the door, hard.

She sank back in the plush leather seat, put on her seat belt and stared at her hands, resting in her lap. She heard the rattle of keys, the motor starting, and then they were moving. At the security gate, Rafe spoke, but not to her. “Diaz, leaving,” he said into the speaker on the security panel.

“Did you take care of the lady at the center?” the voice asked.

“Yes, I sure did,” he said.

She thought she heard the man on the other end say, “Good job,” but then the security gate was raised.

They turned out of the parking garage and Megan focused on the early evening streets of Houston, and the thinning traffic. She took a breath, preparing to apologize. She couldn’t leave things like this. But he spoke first.

“We’ll be there in fifteen minutes,” he murmured.

Fifteen minutes before he could get her out of his car and get away from her. Her hands clenched in her lap, her nails biting into her palms. “I’m sorry,” she finally blurted.

He was silent for a very long time, so long that she wasn’t sure he’d heard her. Maybe he was simply ignoring her. Then he cast her a glance that she couldn’t read at all. His dark eyes were shadowed by the surrounding dimness, but she did see the set of his chin. He wasn’t happy.

“It’s nothing,” he murmured.

It seemed like everything at the moment. She didn’t want him to be offended or angry. She didn’t know what to do to change things, but she had to try. “Rafe, I made a mistake. I assumed—”