And now he had turned to her again. And once again, she had been there for him when no one else was. It was becoming as hard for him to imagine his life without Caitlin as it was to picture himself giving his little sister to strangers.
He just wished he knew how Caitlin felt about him. There was something about the way she had looked at him when he’d almost kissed her earlier that had made him believe she wanted to kiss him, too. It hadn’t been the first time he’d sensed that the attraction he felt for her was mutual.
Had Isabelle not entered the kitchen when she did, Nathan would have finally satisfied his curiosity about what it would be like to kiss his pretty, gray-eyed partner. He strongly suspected that first taste would have only whetted his appetite for more.
He wondered now why he had waited so long to work up the nerve to make his move.
He should have asked her out weeks ago. Now, before he could even take her to dinner, he would have to learn how one went about hiring a dependable baby-sitter.
Leaning over to brush a kiss over the top of Isabelle’s silky head, he reminded himself that he didn’t regret bringing the child home with him. But he was certainly aware of how much more complicated his life had become.
Caitlin wasn’t sure what to expect when she arrived at the office Monday morning. She hadn’t seen Nathan Sunday, though she had spoken with him on the phone a couple of times when he’d called with business-related questions. He told her he had stayed home all day trying to wade through the stacks of memos and messages that had piled up during his week-long absence, and he needed clarification about a few things.
Caitlin had asked about Isabelle during the first call, of course. Nathan told her the child was fine, playing happily in her room with the few favorite toys she had brought with her from California. Because she had spent so much of her short life in the company of adults, she was used to entertaining herself.
The second time he called Caitlin, several hours later, he’d sounded a bit more frazzled. As well behaved as Isabelle was, she was still a young child whose life had been uprooted too many times. She had become a bit fretful and clingy as the day advanced, wanting to make sure she had Nathan’s attention—perhaps subconsciously needing reassurance that this home would be a permanent one.
Caitlin had answered his business questions, then couldn’t resist asking, “Do you need any assistance there? I could come help you entertain her for a little while…..”
Nathan had politely but firmly declined the offer. “You’ve done enough this weekend. I’m sure you have things you need to do, and I have to learn to deal with these problems on my own, anyway.”
Even though she agreed with that sentiment, she’d felt a bit guilty after hanging up. Silly, really. There was no reason at all why she should feel responsible for Isabelle or Nathan.
Her arms filled with the work she’d carried home for the weekend, she entered the McCloud and Briley Law Offices Monday morning not sure whether Nathan would even be there. She’d forgotten to ask him whether he’d arranged for day care, but she doubted he’d been able to set up anything that quickly.
Mandy, the latest in a line of receptionists who had come and gone just in the nine months Caitlin had been partner, looked up from her desk with a perky smile when Caitlin walked in. “Good morning, Ms. Briley. I made coffee.”
It was with some effort that Caitlin returned the smile. Mandy made hands-down the worst coffee Caitlin had ever tasted. She couldn’t imagine how Mandy managed that feat, since they bought the coffee premeasured in filter packs that only required adding a specified amount of water, but somehow when Mandy touched the coffeemaker the results were always unfortunate.
But since it was difficult to find good help for an entry-level job at an entry-level salary, and since Mandy had other assets—punctuality being one of them—Caitlin couldn’t complain about the coffee. “Any calls for me yet?”
The offices didn’t officially open for another ten minutes, so she wasn’t really surprised when the receptionist shook her head. “Not yet. But I’m sure there will be a flood of calls starting at eight.”
“No doubt.” When Caitlin was not in court or meeting with clients, she was usually on the phone. “Has Nathan called in?”
“Not since I got here.” Mandy leaned forward and lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Is it true Mr. McCloud just found out he’s a father? I heard that little girl who was with him Friday is his daughter.”
Caitlin couldn’t help staring at the younger woman. She was both amazed and dismayed that the gossip mill was already churning out wild fabrications, only days after Nathan returned from San Diego.
Before she could speak, Irene’s chilly voice came from the doorway that led back to the offices. “Mr. McCloud has become the guardian of his young half sister, who was recently orphaned. And I’m sure he would appreciate it if his employees refrained from gossiping about him—at work or away.”
Her usually rosy cheeks going pale, Mandy snapped straight upright in her seat. “I didn’t say anything bad about him. I was just repeating what I heard.”
“Please don’t repeat whatever you might hear in the future.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Mandy looked greatly relieved when the telephone buzzed, giving her a chance to snatch up the receiver and escape into her duties. “Good morning, McCloud and Briley Law Offices.”
Without waiting to find out who was calling, Caitlin headed for her office. Irene stayed at her heels, carrying a thick file. “I have all the information for your first appointment this morning. He’s scheduled to arrive at eight-thirty.”
Caitlin unloaded her own heavy burden on her desk. “Thank you. Um, did Nathan explain the situation to you about his sister?”
“I’m afraid my information came through gossip, as well,” Irene admitted a bit sheepishly. “Mr. McCloud’s aunt is in my Sunday school class. She said she had seen him at the grocery store with the child and very quickly figured out who Isabelle was.”
Betty must have called Lenore almost immediately after she’d put the facts together, Caitlin realized, thinking of the expression on Lenore’s face when she had first seen Isabelle. It hadn’t been at all kind of Betty to break the news to Lenore before Nathan had a chance to talk to his mother. Nor to talk about Nathan’s personal life to the ladies of her Sunday school class.
“Was my information incorrect?” Irene asked with an uncharacteristic touch of uncertainty.
“No, you heard correctly. Nathan has taken his little sister as his ward.”