Hometown Valentine

More worry scraped across Blake’s nerves.

“I know, sweetie,” Lily soothed as she got the Y strap over Peyton’s head and snapped it in. “Daddy needs to get you home.”

“I’m so sorry you have to leave,” Molly said, handing Lily Peyton’s blanket. “You’ll have to come to next month’s get-together.”

He just nodded. Though he’d given the gathering tonight a try, at this point, with so many things pulling on him, socializing had fallen to last on his list. Maybe he’d feel like going out...in a million years or so. Or maybe when Peyton turned eighteen. Provided she was still with him then. Permanent custody still hadn’t been determined yet.

Lily tucked the blanket around Peyton and stepped back. “There you go. Nice and cozy.”

Blake picked up the carrier. “Thanks for all your help,” he said to Lily before looking at Molly. “And thank you for having me. Say goodbye to Grant for me, would you?” Blake started moving toward the door.

“Of course,” Molly said. She hurried ahead of him and opened the door. “Bye. Take care of that little girl.”

“I will.” Feeling the weight of responsibility bearing down on him, he went outside, down the cement stairs and headed to his car. He swung the carrier and Peyton’s crying went down a notch. Maybe she’d follow tradition and fall asleep in the car. But then she might not sleep tonight, and that meant he wouldn’t sleep, and tomorrow would be a bigger challenge than usual. The cycle went on and on.

Now he knew why God intended for kids to have two parents—to split the duties. What he would give for someone to help him out. But he was alone as a parent, with no one else to depend on. Though many people managed in his plight, he wasn’t sure he could do this by himself.

All of a sudden his stomach hollowed out and a feeling of hopelessness washed over him. He put the baby carrier down and leaned a hand on the window of the car and bowed his head for a moment.

Lord, how in the world am I going to cope with everything? Please, give me the strength to do so.

“Blake!”

He straightened and turned. Lily was heading out the door toward his car. Just the sight of her eased something inside of him, made him feel somehow less alone. Odd, since he barely knew her. He frowned slightly. He must be punchy from lack of sleep.

He unlocked the car and waited for her.

“You forgot your coat.” She held it out.

“Oh, thanks.” He took the coat from her. “Well, tonight was a bust.” He lifted the baby seat into the car.

“Not entirely.” Lily leaned in and stroked Peyton’s cheek. “I got to see this little lady.”

“And me,” he joked. Oh, man, where had that come from?

Lily pulled her chin in, blinking. “Um...yeah, that, too.”

“Ignore me,” he said, shaking his head in bemusement. “I was just teasing.”

“I know,” she said, shoving her hands in her pants pockets. “And...it was good to see you.”

“It was?”

“Well, sure. You need to get out.”

Oh, that was what she meant. “Yeah, but I don’t see that happening much for a while. I’ve got my hands pretty full.”

“I know. Let me know if I can help.”

He nodded. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that. He was probably worrying for nothing.

“Okay, then.” Lily turned to the house.

Peyton let out a squawk and then started wailing again.

Lily spun back around. “Try not to worry too much,” she said. “Kids get sick and they get better.”

“I’ll try,” he said, closing the car door.

“And in case you didn’t know, The Market Pantry on the far south end of Main Street is open late.”

“Thank you,” he said.

She waved and then went up the stairs and disappeared inside.

Blake got in the car, and then started it. As soon as the engine turned over, Peyton’s crying ramped up. He gripped the steering wheel, feeling overwhelmed, drained and more alone than ever.

A break. He needed a break. And maybe a fill-in babysitter. Again, Lily came to mind. Was she the answer to his prayers?

With that question hovering in his mind and exhaustion hovering at the edges of his brain, he pulled out into the street and headed in the direction of The Market Pantry to get Peyton’s medicine.

It was going to be another sleepless night in a long line of many.

* * *

Lily hurried back into the house, and as soon as the door closed behind her, Molly stepped into the living room.

“You get him all situated?” she asked, her eyebrows lifted slightly.

“He forgot his coat,” Lily said breezily.

“You seemed awfully anxious to say another goodbye to him.” Molly smirked. “Grant said you almost ripped the coat out of his hands to take it out yourself.”

Maybe Lily had been a little grabby, though she’d tried not to be. But she wasn’t admitting it to Molly. Molly would latch on to that tidbit and take it to a place Lily wasn’t going. “There was no ripping involved.”

“He’s very handsome,” Molly said, coming at Lily from another angle. She was clearly fishing.

“You think?” Lily asked, looking as if she hadn’t considered Blake’s gorgeousness at all.

“What? You don’t find him attractive?”

Lily paused. “I didn’t say that,” Lily said, stopping short of lying.

“So you do find him attractive!” Molly said triumphantly.

“No harm in that,” Lily said, rationalizing both to herself and Molly. “Don’t get your hopes up.” Molly had met and married Grant over a year ago, and since she’d found true love, she wanted the same for Lily. Desperately. And while Lily was happy for Molly, happy-ever-after wasn’t on Lily’s radar right now. Winning Project Fashion was.

“But you did notice him.”

“I’d have to be dead not to notice him.” Lily was nothing if not pragmatic.

“Okay. You’ve really noticed him.” Molly cast Lily a brightly inquisitive look. “So...what did you think?”

Lily sighed. Molly wasn’t going to let up. And truth be told, Lily could use a shoulder. Maybe she should just spill and move on. “Well, I’ve actually been thinking about him a lot since we met.” As in all night long.

Molly moved in closer. “Really?”

“Yeah, and I have to say, it has me worried.” Lily nibbled on her bottom lip.

“You’re not interested in a romance,” Molly said. She and Lily had talked at length about Lily’s goals, and her desire not to be tied down with any kind of commitment so she would be free to go after Project Fashion. “And I get it.” Molly sank down onto the couch. “I didn’t want to fall for Grant, either. But sometimes we don’t have a choice in matters of the heart.”

“I choose and my heart listens,” Lily replied, lifting her chin. Or, that was the goal, at least. Think it, live it. Right.

“So why are you worried?” Trust Molly not to pull any punches. “Just move on with your plans and don’t give Blake a second thought.”

Lily opened her mouth to give Molly a retort, but quickly closed it. Lily stayed silent for a moment, then decided she needed to unload more or she’d go crazy. “Something about him draws me in.”

“Aha. Now we’re getting somewhere.”

Yes, maybe they were getting somewhere. Lily warmed to the subject. Maybe hashing it out would bring some clarity to the situation. And help her grow some semblance of a backbone. “Sure, he’s gorgeous.”

“Very.”

“But there’s also something else about him. A...vulnerability, maybe, that really calls to me.” Whatever it was, she was having a hard time pinning it down. She gnashed her teeth.

“Well, he has been through a lot lately.”

“I know. And he’s got this delightful baby to take care of, and he’s completely clueless about that, and he has this business to run.” Lily shook her head. “I don’t know, I just find myself thinking about him a lot and I don’t want to be distracted by him.”

“You don’t want any roadblocks.”

“Right. I’m on the cusp of moving forward with something I’ve waited a long time for. I can’t just set all that aside, you know.” Lily sat down next to Molly. “I’m too close to get sidetracked now.” A thought occurred to Lily. “But...being attracted to someone isn’t the be-all and end-all.” She warmed to her thoughts. “In fact, people are attracted to other people all the time, and it means nothing, goes nowhere, right?”

Molly looked at Lily sideways. “Um...yes...”

“So rather than deny the truth, I’m just going to accept it, voice it and that will be that.” Lily straightened her shoulders. “I’m attracted to Blake Stonely and I’m not going to let it bother me. I’m just going to get on with my life, business as usual.” She waited, half expecting a lightning bolt to strike her down from above.

But nothing happened. She sighed inwardly as relief spread through her.

“Feel better?” Molly asked.

“Yes, actually, I do. I’ve acknowledged my attraction to Blake out loud.” Lily stood. “Now I can forget about him.”

“You think it will be that easy?” Molly asked, her voice coated in skepticism. “I thought I could just ignore my feelings for Grant, too, and we both know how that turned out.”

With an engagement. And then a wedding. Their very own happy ending.

Lily scrambled for a foothold to support her argument. “It’ll be fine. I don’t have any reason to see Blake again. I’ll just putter along in my lane and soon enough I’ll be on my way to LA to win Project Fashion.” And her heart would stay just how she chose.

“So you think out of sight, out of mind?”

“Exactly.”

Molly gave her a look rife with doubt. “Let me know how that works for you.”

Lily shrugged off Molly’s disbelief. “It’ll be fine. I’m busy, or will be when I get a job, and he’s busy, too. Pretty soon he’ll be nothing but a memory in my rearview mirror.”

She was back on track. Yes. She felt better. Strong. Safe. Resolute. Perfect!

Free from worry about her fascination with Blake, she changed the subject. “Hey, do you still want me to help you plan the Valentine’s Day dance?” The singles’ group held a dance every year in honor of the most romantic day of the year. Lily went for the dancing, her second most favorite thing after designing clothes.

“Yes, definitely,” Molly said. “I was thinking of an ’80s theme this year.”

“Oooh, great idea. Nothing like a good hair-band song to get this girl on the floor.”

Molly grinned. “I thought you’d like that.”

An idea occurred to Lily. “I can go through my dad’s album collection for the music.”

“And I’ll have Grant transfer the tunes into digital format.”

“He won’t mind?”

“He’s a techno geek. He’ll love it.” Grant, a former programmer, owned a computer repair/software development company, which he ran from a Main Street storefront right next door to Molly’s store, Bow Wow Boutique, a designer pet store.

“Good point,” Lily said. “I’ll go through the albums soon, and then get them to him in the next week or so.” Valentine’s Day was still a few weeks away.

“I’ll let him know,” Molly said. “We should also make a trip to Party Depot in Pacific City for supplies.” Moonlight Cove lacked any kind of party supply store.

“Just let me know when you want to go,” Lily said.

“Will do.”

They rejoined the group in the family room and Lily relaxed and enjoyed the activities Grant and Molly had planned, as well as the cookies-and-cream cupcakes Grant’s aunt Rose Kincaid had baked for the event. Lily realized how much she’d needed a bit of socializing after the stress of her fruitless job search, and she was glad she’d decided to attend the event.

An hour after her conversation with Molly, Lily said her goodbyes, left and headed home, brainstorming job possibilities as she navigated the rain-slicked streets to the other side of town. She’d heard that a restaurant in the next town up the coast was hiring, and that perhaps the local dentist needed a receptionist while the regular gal went on maternity leave. Two leads to follow up on in the morning. One way or another, she had to find a job as soon as possible.

Just as she pulled into the driveway, her cell phone trilled. She pulled it from her coat pocket and checked the caller ID.

Blake Stonely. Lily’s heart did a little blip. Why was he calling? Her finger hovered over Answer, but she didn’t press it. She needed to gather herself before she talked to him. She didn’t know why, exactly. She was feeling her way here, and right now, she needed to deal with Blake via voice mail rather than by talking directly to him. Call her weak.

Eventually the ringing stopped. After about thirty seconds, a different sound came from her phone signaling she had a voice mail. With a quivery touch she punched the buttons to listen to the message, then held the phone up to her ear.

“Hey, Lily, it’s Blake Stonely.” A pause. “Listen, I hate to impose, but my sitter called and she has a bad case of pneumonia and she’s going to be out indefinitely.” A sigh came through. “Worse yet, Peyton is still running a fever, so I can’t take her to the store tomorrow. I hate to do this, but I was wondering if I could take you up on your offer to help out for a while, until my sitter is back on her feet. I’d pay you, of course.” He cleared his throat. “So, um, call me as soon as you can. Thanks.”

Lily clicked End Call and stared out the front window, her phone clutched in her hand. What was she going to do? Helping Blake wouldn’t exactly be out of sight, out of mind. In fact, coming to his rescue was the exact opposite of what she’d mapped out.

She let out a shaky breath, feeling torn. He was in a bind. She needed the money, and working for him for a bit would ease the job hunting pressure for a while. Would it really be smart to refuse a paying job?

Probably not.

Lily tapped a finger on her knee. Helping Blake was the right thing to do all around. She couldn’t turn him down. She didn’t have the heart to say no when he desperately needed her help, even though doing so felt like a distinct threat to her at the moment.

Bubbles of anxiety churned around inside of her like a rough ocean, setting her nerves on a jagged edge. She’d definitely have to find a way to work for Blake while keeping him at a safe distance.

She’d worked too hard, dreamed of being on Project Fashion for too long, to let anything derail her dreams now.

Chapter Three

Lily pulled into Blake’s driveway, her gaze roaming over the cute little 1940s house on Fogcutter Street, just east of downtown. His single-story home featured white paint, dark blue shutters flanking the windows and a wide front porch that was bare at the moment but would be a perfect place for a glider or swing.

The large lot had plenty of grass, lovely southern exposure and a picket fence running across the front yard. An ugly gray one that leaned to one side and had a few slats missing, but a picket fence nonetheless. The yard was a bit overgrown and neglected looking right now; clearly Blake didn’t have much time for gardening.

Little wonder, with everything he had going on.

Even so, it was a perfect house, replete with just the right amount of charm and old-fashioned flavor she loved so much.

Not that she’d ever live here. But the designer in her could see the potential and she could admire from afar.

She parked next to his compact car and sat for a moment, getting her nerves under control. She reiterated that she’d done the right thing by agreeing to babysit Peyton, both for Blake and for herself. She had to quit letting the prospect of working for him get to her. She was determined to contain her attraction and focus on Peyton. She could do this while remaining detached.

Taking a revitalizing breath, she climbed out of her car and hurried to the door, dodging raindrops. Even before she stood in front of the red wooden door, she could hear Peyton crying inside. Oh, boy. Blake had clearly been having a rough time.

She raised her hand to knock, but before she could, the door swung open.

A harried-looking Blake stood there with a screaming Peyton hoisted up over one shoulder. His hair was mussed and he had dark circles under his eyes. His jeans and T-shirt looked as if he’d slept—or perhaps not?—in them. He’d been through the wringer.

But he was still gorgeous. Of course. Maybe she’d been wishing he’d turn unattractive overnight? Not happening. Ever. She had to deal with it.

“Hey,” he said with a definitely weary edge to his voice. “Come on in.”

Lily stepped inside, determined to focus on the practical aspects of the situation. She made quick note of the living room, which was comprised of a tan microfiber love seat and sofa, dark wooden accent furniture and a large big-screen TV set at an angle in one corner. Nice, but bland. Very clean. But perfectly impersonal.

And...wow, there were vacuum marks in the carpet, as if he’d just vacuumed one minute ago. How odd. In her book, vacuuming would fall to just about last on the list if she were taking care of a fussy baby solo.

She turned her attention to Peyton. “She sounds like she doesn’t feel very well.”

“No, she doesn’t.” As he spoke, he shifted Peyton so she was lying down in his arms. Without missing a beat, he started the swing, swing, swing technique Lily had shown him a couple of days ago.

“Look at you,” she said, putting her purse on the couch that sat just to the left of the front door. “You’re a pro.”

He gave her a tired look edged in desperation. “Not really. I swung her like this all night long, and she still didn’t sleep much.” He yawned. “And neither did I.”

Lily held her hands up. “You want me to try?”

“Definitely,” he said, coming closer. “Here you go.”

He bent down slightly so the baby was at Lily’s level, and a whiff of his woodsy, masculine-smelling aftershave wafted through the air, right to her nose. It was all she could do to hold out her hands steadily as he transferred Peyton to her.

His arms touched Lily’s and she felt her knees tremble and her tummy somersaulted. She steeled herself and took the baby, keeping her in a prone position, trying to ignore Blake, which was about as easy as trying to ignore breathing.

“I’ve got her,” Lily managed, but her voice came out breathily. She zeroed in on Peyton’s red face, and then as soon as was practically possible Lily scooted away into the safety zone.

Able to breathe again, Lily started the swing, concentrating on Peyton rather than her wonderful-smelling uncle. She walked over to the big picture window that looked out over the front yard and did her baby calming there, moving in a small circle.

Hold the baby close. Swing, swing, swing.

Ignore the attractive man across the room.

Rinse. Repeat.

After a few circles, Peyton’s cries quieted. Lily kept it up and added a little extra flare at the end of each swing to further soothe Peyton. Her brother Liam always liked that motion.

From the corner of her eye, Lily saw Blake watching her intently, his hands on his hips. She tried to ignore him, but that proved impossible. Suddenly self-conscious, she went against her instincts and met his gaze.

His blue eyes grabbed on to her gaze.

“What are you doing?” she said in a loud whisper.

“I’m watching.”

She froze and a tingle ran up her spine. “Watching?”

“Your technique,” he said quietly. “Clearly you have some kind of magic way of soothing her. I’m watching and learning.”

“Oh. Of course.” She swallowed. So he was learning. It still unnerved her to have his gaze glued to her. “You’ll get the hang of it.”

He ran a hand over his face. “I hope so. This no-sleeping thing is going to catch up with me any day now.” Blinking, he shook his head. “Maybe it already has.”

“Good thing you have an unlimited supply of caffeine waiting for you at work,” Lily said, looking for levity. Anything to counterbalance the off-balance way his scrutiny made her feel.

He smiled. “Yeah, I never thought of that.”

“Well, there you go.” She looked down at Peyton. “She’s almost asleep. Where do you want her?”

He crooked a thumb over his shoulder. “Follow me.”

He headed down the hall to the right and Lily followed, keeping her steps fluid and smooth in the interest of keeping Peyton asleep. They passed two bedrooms and then, at the end of the hall, he went into the third one.

Lily stepped into the room. Gray morning light spilled in from the large window on the wall directly across from the door. The walls were plain white and devoid of any decorations. An oak crib with pink bumpers sat against one wall and there was a changing table nearby and a matching dresser, too, upon which sat a baby monitor. A bentwood rocker graced the near corner of the room. Two baskets of neatly folded laundry sat in front of the closet.

Blake went to the crib and pulled the fuzzy pink blankets back, looking Lily’s way. She got the message and moved in and gingerly lifted Peyton into the crib and laid her down on her back. As Lily withdrew her arms, she held her breath in hopes the baby would sleep on even though she wasn’t held snugly in Lily’s arms.

After a moment, Peyton let out a little whimper, stiffening and flailing a little hand in the air. Lily froze and she saw Blake do the same. But then the baby settled, and finally she slept, her little bow mouth working as she drifted off.

Lily looked at Blake, nodding. She mouthed, “She’s asleep.”

He nodded, then pointed to the door.

Lily turned and tiptoed out.

Blake followed, pulling the door closed behind him but leaving it ajar, pointing down the hall, indicating Lily should go back into the living room.

She headed to the other end of the house, mentally ticking off a checklist that had been forming in her head ever since she’d agreed to be Peyton’s nanny. Get fussy baby to sleep—check. Now, if she could simply meet and defeat the challenge of keeping her interest in Blake strictly professional, she’d be cool.

When she reached the living room, she turned, intending to ask Blake about Peyton’s meal schedule.

Before she could speak, Blake bowed with a flourish. “I bow down to you, oh wise and wonderful baby whisperer.” He straightened. “Please, share your secrets with me, the lowly man who’s deprived of sleep.”

She smiled, liking this playful side of him. Unable to resist his bantering, she held her hand up, palm out. “Please, please. Save your applause for later.”

He cocked his head at an angle. “Oh, so you think I’m joking?”

She blinked. “Aren’t you?”

“Not even close,” he said. “I thought it was a fluke when you managed to get her to sleep at The Cabana the other day. But now?” He shook his head. “You seem to have some kind of charmed way of getting Miss Fussypants to sleep.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Are you stressed out?”

He frowned.

“Just bear with me,” she said. “Are you stressed out?”

“Yeah, I am,” he said, rolling his shoulders. “I’ve got a business to run and a sick baby to take care of.”

“So you’re understandably tense. I get it. You have every right to be that way.” She smoothed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “The thing is, babies can sense tension, and from my experience with my brothers and sisters, they tend to feed on it.”

“So I’m passing my tenseness on to Peyton?”

“To some extent, yes.”

His face fell.

“Not on purpose, of course,” she quickly said. “But my point is this. If you relax, she’ll relax.”

“I don’t even know what relaxing is these days,” he said with a grimace. “I just run from one crisis to another.”

His life sounded insanely chaotic. No wonder he and Peyton weren’t getting any rest. He was overwhelmed.

He looked at his watch, punctuating her thoughts about how busy he was. “Oh, wow, it’s getting late. Why don’t we go into the kitchen and I’ll go over things.”