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He looked down at Merry, who smiled at him. “You are a sweetie, and I’m sorry I fed you too much banana at once. I won’t do that again, I promise,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “The lady got away—for now, but not for good. Nosiree. Li’l darlin’, we’ll get our things and go look for the pretty lady. I’ll bet half the men in that building can tell me what office she’s in. You liked her, didn’t you?”
Merry gurgled and blinked when sunlight splashed over her face.
“Well, so did I. She’s special, Merry. I can just feel it down to my bones. Faith Kolanko. That’s a pretty name. Merry and Faith. I like that.”
Merry smiled at him, and he settled her against his shoulder as he strode back to the blanket he had spread. He laid her down gently, her big blue eyes watching him solemnly until a bird flitted past, and then her attention shifted to the birds and trees.
Jared folded up their things, finished the can of pop he’d been drinking and put their trash in a nearby bin. He sank down on the quilt, pulled Merry into his arms and got a bottle out of a satchel. “Now, li’l darlin’, here’s your bottle. You drink up and have a little nap. Then, sweetie, we’ll go find the pretty lady we liked so much.”
Jared watched Merry’s tiny hands grasp the plastic bottle, and he felt his heart swell with love for this little person he held in his arms. “I’m sorry your real daddy couldn’t know you, li’l darlin’. He was a good man and we’re not going to forget him.”
Merry’s eyes closed, thick black lashes a dusky shadow over her plump rosy cheeks. Jared snuggled her closer, careful not to disturb her as she drank her formula. He brushed a kiss across her forehead. While he watched her drink, he thought about Faith Kolanko. He wanted a date with her. He hadn’t had a satisfactory date since Merry had come into his life. And though he had yet to try, he suspected he’d had so few dates that he could count them on the fingers of both hands. He just hoped he couldn’t count them on one hand.
Whatever the number, it had been too damned few. He liked women and he missed their companionship. But nothing about his life was as simple as it had been before. He had to think about Merry now. He had to be friends with nice ladies who liked Merry and could deal with her. And until today, he hadn’t met anyone who fit his criteria—and who fit him.
Faith Kolanko had been marvelous with Merry. She was the first female he had encountered who could really cope in a crisis.
While Merry sucked happily, fantasies danced in his mind. Jared pictured the slender blonde in absolute detail. The way her lips curved in a smile, the hint of curiosity in her green eyes as she looked at him. The cool, decisive way she had taken charge. The warmth she exhibited toward Merry.
He had learned at an early age that a man out in public with a horse or a puppy drew women like honey drew flies. In the last four months, he had learned that a man with a baby also attracted women. Wherever he traveled with Merry—grocery, park, rodeo, beach or mall—women came up to him to see the baby. But when he carried it further, it was different. A man and a woman who met over a horse or a dog could ignore the animal for a few hours. No such luck with a baby. When Merry demanded attention, Jared had discovered that most of the women he encountered either knew little about babies or already knew too much and didn’t want anything to do with another one. Romance had gone out of his life almost as swiftly as fatherhood had come into it.
But then, springing forth from a hedge, had come a beautiful lady who obviously loved little babies. “My, oh, my!” he whispered aloud. He looked down at the baby in his arms. She had finished the bottle, and her breath was rapid, rising and falling evenly, telling him she was asleep.
“What a day we’ve had, eh, li’l darlin’? It will be downhill all the way from here.” He placed Merry gently on the blanket. “We’re going to get our things and go find the pretty lady. I suspect she isn’t going to be able to resist you. We are going to ask Faith to dinner and to become part of our lives. We need her—I can feel it clear down to my toes,” he said to the sleeping baby.
He paused and looked at the spirea bushes. Only a sprinkling of white petals on the ground indicated that anything had disturbed the flowers. He picked a little sprig and tucked it into the pocket of Merry’s bag.
Jared stretched out on the blanket, folding his arms behind his head, and watched white clouds shift across the deep blue sky. He listened to the birds and enjoyed the slight April breeze while leaves caused shadows to dance across him. His thoughts were on Faith Kolanko. She had been calm, cool, efficient. And beautiful. Big green eyes, long legs. In his heart he gave another silent prayer of thanks for Merry’s rescue and for Faith Kolanko sweeping into their lives.
All his life, there had been women around—until the last two months. He missed having a woman around. He had thought of marriage—something that had never crossed his mind until he’d become a father. Now he was ready to marry. But now, because of Merry, he couldn’t get out and meet women with the ease he had known before. Well, Faith was one lady who had charged into his life, and he wanted to keep her there. At least, he wanted her there long enough to see if he wanted her there forever.
Two hours later Jared shook out the soft blanket, rolled it up, then bound it with leather before fastening it to a carrier on his back. Catching his shaggy hair, he fastened it with a leather thong behind his head. Then he carefully placed Merry in her baby carrier and secured her against his heart, brushing her soft hair lightly with his fingers.
“Sweetie, I didn’t know how lovable a little baby could be until I met you.”
He brushed off his jeans, gathered his things and crossed the park. Whistling, Jared strolled to the Harrington Building and pushed inside. Moments later, he was describing Faith to the receptionist, who shook her head at him.
“I’m sorry, sir. There are a lot of blond women who work in this building.”
“Faith Kolanko is about five feet eight inches tall. She has long blond hair, green eyes, a few freckles across her nose—”
“Miss Kolanko works on the fifth floor.” A man in a white shirt and dark slacks appeared at Jared’s side. “She’s an artist and works for Graphic Design.”
“Thanks,” Jared said, eyeing the man as much as the man was eyeing him. Jared turned, looked at the directory posted near the elevators and spotted Graphic Design listed on the fifth floor.
“We’ll have to wait until she gets off work, Merry,” he said to the sleeping baby. “We’ll come back about four o’clock so we don’t miss her.”
He strode out into the sunshine and back to the park, this time spreading his blanket in the shade where he could see two of the building’s exits.
At four he went to his pickup, where he left the blanket and picnic basket, opting instead for Merry’s umbrella stroller. “Now, darlin’,” he said, buckling Merry into the seat and handing her a bright blue rattle, “we’ll wait for Miss Kolanko to get off work.” Hooking Merry’s diaper bag over the handle of the stroller, he pushed her toward the Harrington Tower.
They sat in the cool lobby and watched people pour through on their way home from work, but Jared did not spot any tall, beautiful blonde. Five became six, the building emptied, and a security man in a brown uniform appeared.
“Sir, do you work in this building?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Well, unless you have some reason for being here, I’ll have to ask you to leave. I need to lock up the building for the night,” he said, switching off some of the lobby lights.
“I’m waiting for Faith Kolanko with Graphic Design.”
“Miss Kolanko? Do you mind if I verify that?”
“No, go ahead. I’m Jared Whitewolf,” he said, standing.
The security guard crossed the lobby to a phone and placed a call. Jared pushed Merry and the stroller closer.
“Whitewolf. He said he’s waiting for you, Miss Kolanko. That’s right, a little baby. Yes, ma’am. You’re welcome.” He replaced the receiver.
“She said to tell you she would be right down. Sorry for the inconvenience, sir, but we have to make the building as secure as possible.”
“sure. I understand. Thanks.”
Jared pushed the stroller back to the bench that faced the elevators and sat down to wait, watching as glowing numbers above the elevator moved from five to one. He stood as the double doors slid open and the woman he was going to marry emerged.
Two
Rushed, annoyed that she had to take time to see why the man she met in the park was waiting downstairs, Faith glanced around. Her searching gaze was arrested by a tall cowboy wearing a wide-brimmed black hat with two feathers hanging over the brim, a white T-shirt and a big silver buckle on a hand-tooled leather belt. Jeans hugged his slim hips, and the tips of black boots showed beneath the frayed edges. For an instant she didn’t recognize him. The lobby was dim; the hat hid his eyes. And the shaggy black hair she remembered from the afternoon was pulled behind his head, changing his appearance considerably.
The tall cowboy turned a stroller to face her, and she saw Merry Whitewolf. Faith knew the man she was facing was Jared Whitewolf.
“Mr. Whitewolf—”
“Howdy, Faith. And it’s Jared. You saved Merry’s life, so we’re on a very personal basis.”
“I have to get back to the office,” she said as he approached. She looked down at the baby, who smiled. Faith couldn’t resist smiling back. For just an instant the cares of the day fell away. “Hi, Merry,” she said, leaning down slightly. “You are the friendliest little girl I have ever seen.”
“That’s because her daddy’s friendly” came a slow drawl. “Sorry to interrupt your work, but we wanted to take you to dinner when you’re through here.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I just couldn’t!” Faith exclaimed swiftly, straightening to face him. He tilted back his hat, and she looked into dark eyes that seemed to reach down and grab hold of a little part of her soul. She didn’t want to look away. She forgot work. She forgot where she was for a moment. In the park today, she had felt that same magnetic pull, but she had blamed it on the sweet baby, the magic of the outdoors on a sunny afternoon, the unusual encounter. And maybe an expanse of a fabulous, bare chest.
She couldn’t blame her current reaction on any of those things, yet here she was barely able to get her breath, gazing up at a man who was staring at her as if he had been searching for her all his life.
“Yes, you can,” he said quietly, touching a tendril of hair near her face. “You have to eat sometime. Have you already had dinner?”
She felt the faint brush of his warm fingers on her cheek. She knew she looked disheveled. The afternoon had been as hectic as she had expected, and plunging through the spirea bushes earlier had mussed her cotton skirt and blouse. “No, I haven’t, but I’m not going to take time now. I have another hour’s work to do.”
“We’ll wait,” he said with a smile as he smoothed her collar. When his knuckles brushed her collarbone, she tingled. What was the matter with her? Had she worked until she was senseless? She was reacting to a perfect stranger in a very primitive way.
“No, you shouldn’t wait,” she argued, making an effort to look away from brown eyes so dark, she felt she was staring into a moonless night. “I can’t go out with you. You’re a complete stranger. I know nothing about you. And I have to get back to work.”
“Faith,” he drawled, his hand catching her arm as she started to turn away. His touch was feather light, and she paused, rooted to the spot. “We’re not going to stay strangers. Are you engaged or involved with someone?”
“No, but that isn’t the point. In this day and age it’s dangerous to be friendly to strangers.”
“I agree. So let’s fix this stranger status.” He retrieved a glossy program from his satchel and handed it to her. “Here’s my picture. I’m riding in a rodeo at the arena tomorrow night.”
She stared at the smiling picture of him and noted the statistics about his bull riding, saddle bronc riding and prizes he had won. “You’re a three-time world champion bull rider,” she remarked as she read.
With a flash of very white teeth, he grinned. “Somehow, I don’t think that’s a plus in your book.”
“I can’t even imagine it,” she answered, looking again at his picture. She had to admit the man was not only handsome, he had a charm that was spellbinding.
“You can call out to the arena, and any of the boys will tell you about me. I own a home here in Tulsa. The house is on South Peoria. If Merry could talk, she would verify that I’m safe. And besides that—” he thrust the rodeo program into Faith’s hands and pulled out a card from his frayed billfold “—this is my brother Wyatt. He’s a detective with the OCPD. We’ll go call him and he’ll tell you I’m safe. C’mon.”
“Oh, no! You don’t need to call your brother.”
“I’m not going to. You are. I have coins here and you can make the call yourself,” he said, positioning the stroller in front of Faith while he tugged lightly on her arm. “There’s a pay phone, so you’ll know this isn’t a setup job. You can call the OCPD yourself and talk to Wyatt. He’ll tell you I’m totally safe to go out with. If he doesn’t convince you, I have another brother, Matt. He’s a farmer. Let’s start with the cop.”
“This is ridiculous. I have work upstairs.”
“I know you do and I’m sorry to interfere, but some time tonight you’ll have to stop work and go home. And you’ll have to eat. Merry and I can help you unwind. Just a little dinner and I’ll get you home, so we can start getting to know each other.”
“I don’t think so,” she said, facing him. He was handsome with prominent cheekbones, skin as dark as teak, lashes unbelievably thick, a firm jaw. And every time she received the full force of his dark-eyed stare, she felt weak-kneed and knew she was going to cave in to him. She took a deep breath, trying to summon a no.
“Merry really wants you to go with us. She just doesn’t know how to say it.”
No vanished as he offered the handles of the stroller to her. Faith pushed Merry to the phone. Big blue eyes stared at her.
Jared placed the receiver in her hand, turned her to the phone and put the card in front of her. He plopped a bandanna on the shelf and untied it. Silver coins filled the red cloth. “Now, you just call the OCPD. There’s the number. Ask for Wyatt, and then you ask him about my character and reliability.”
She turned to him. “I just don’t think I have time in my life right now—”
He bent his knees slightly to be at her eye level, then he leaned closer. She caught a soapy scent that was pleasant “Faith, I think you should,” he said quietly. “I think we were meant to know each other. Sooner or later we will. So let’s make it sooner.”
Her heart started a ridiculous drumming. Never in her life had she had this kind of reaction to a man.
“Call Wyatt,” Jared commanded softly.
She turned and began punching numbers. Then she listened as the operator told her the amount of money required. Each coin made a metallic clink. Jared Whitewolf moved away, pushing Merry around in her stroller, and then he hunkered down to talk to the baby.
A deep male voice finally came over the receiver and Faith felt absurd. “Is this Detective Wyatt Whitewolf?”
As soon as he said yes, she launched into an explanation. “This is Faith Kolanko from Tulsa, and I’ve just met your brother Jared. He’s asked me to dinner, and since we’re complete strangers—”
She paused as the man at the other end of the line laughed.
“My brother is safe enough,” he said, his voice filled with amusement. “With horses and with women he’s a will-o’-the-wisp charmer. He’s harmless.”
“I met him this afternoon, and his little girl, Merry.”
The explosion at the other end of the line made Faith hold the phone away from her ear, but she recognized the shock in Wyatt’s reaction.
“Let me talk to him,” Wyatt said in a tone of voice that had lost all casualness.
Jared must have heard Wyatt’s response, too, because he turned and smiled, making her pulse jump. His grin was infectious, softening his masculine features. The man was incredibly appealing.
She held out the phone. “He wants to talk to you.”
“I’ll only take a second. Do you mind?” he asked, gesturing toward Merry. They switched stroller for receiver, Jared’s hand brushing hers ever so lightly, but she was fully aware of the contact.
“Hi, brother. Yeah, I have a little girl.”
Faith couldn’t help but listen to the one-sided conversation while she wondered what had happened to Merry’s mother.
“No. It’s a long story, Wyatt. I’ll tell you when I see you. Merry’s four-and-a-half months old.” Another pause, and then he said, “Yeah, it’s great.”
Jared’s voice had softened to a buttery warmth that sent a tingle dancing in Faith, and she knew he was talking about Merry. His tone changed whenever he talked about the baby.
“I’m riding in a rodeo here tomorrow night, and then we’ll be in Oklahoma City for the rodeo next weekend, so we’ll come see you then.”
He paused and listened. “Yeah, she’s with me. How are your girls? And Alexa? Good. Tell them hello. See you Saturday.” Jared turned to her. “Faith, do you want to talk to him again?”
She shook her head, then watched as Jared turned back to the phone. With one hand splayed on his hip, he seemed so relaxed, so easygoing, yet there was an air of energy about him that she could feel every time he was near. She would go to dinner with him, she decided. It gave her a peculiar feeling, as if she was caught in a current carrying her along, out of control. Her life was order and stability and security. Filled with routine precision, it was as sure and certain as the hands on a clock. But ever since she had plunged through the spirea bushes and Jared Whitewolf had come into her life, she had felt off balance and out-of-step.
Merry began to fret, and Faith bent down to pick her up. “You have been a very good girl today. You really are a sweetie,” she said, remembering that Jared had used the endearment earlier. She turned to find that Jared had replaced the receiver and was sauntering back to her. “Have you been waiting here in the lobby with this baby all day?” she asked.
“No. We spent the afternoon in the park and then came back about closing time.”
“Your brother didn’t know about Merry.”
“No, but he does now. We don’t write letters. Now, what do you say about dinner?”
“You’ll have to wait around for a little while until I’m ready.”
“We don’t mind, do we, Merry?” he asked, and Merry smiled at him.
“She’s the best behaved baby I have ever seen. She smiles every time anyone looks at her.”
“That’s because—”
“I know. Because you smile a lot,” she said, finishing for him as she handed Merry back to him. He grinned while he fell into step beside her and walked with her to the elevator, pushing the empty stroller ahead of him.
“If you’d rather wait in our office, you may. It might be easier with Merry.”
“Thanks.” He held the elevator door while she entered, and then he pushed the stroller inside. He leaned back against a wall and faced her.
“What’s your title?”
