A Camden's Baby Secret by Victoria Pade Page A

“For you, too.”
    â€œI’m fine,” he insisted.
    So maybe he wasn’t just being polite?
    It was satisfying to think that he wanted her to stay—and tempting, too—but she thought better of it and didn’t give in to the inclination to.
    â€œI really should get going.”
    â€œI’ll walk you down to your car then,” he said. “The parking garage is pretty secure, but I’m still not crazy about the idea of a woman down there alone at night.”
    Livi didn’t point out that he’d just let Kinsey leave alone, because she didn’t want to admit to herself that she didn’t hate the prospect of him escorting her to her car.
    And she also didn’t want to encourage him to start being more attentive to Kinsey.
    So she just picked up her purse and put on her jacket.
    Callan opened the door for her and they stepped across the hall to the elevator that brought them down to the basement level, where she’d been directed to park.
    â€œThe dolls and stuffed animals were a big hit. Thanks for doing that for Greta,” Callan said along the way.
    â€œI’m just glad she liked them all. I wasn’t sure what she might already have, so I went into the toy department in our store on Colorado Boulevard and asked for the newest arrivals that sales figures indicate are trending for her age group.”
    â€œYou had a plan,” he said with a laugh. Livi flushed as she realized after the fact that her explanation was more detailed than it needed to be.
    It was just that being alone with him, standing so close in the elevator, made her even more aware of him. How substantially built he was. How much she liked the cologne he wore.
    They reached her car, but tonight Callan stopped short of going to her door. Instead he hitched a hip onto her rear fender and crossed his forearms over the thick thigh he raised.
    Livi obliged him and came to a stop, too, facing him. And trying to ignore the fact that even dressed in casual navy blue twill slacks and a white polo shirt, he was something to see. Especially with that stubble shadowing his bad-boy good looks.
    â€œSo you’re taking Greta shopping for things to redecorate her room tomorrow?” he said then.
    Ah, so that was what he wanted to talk about. He was probably having misgivings about it again.
    â€œIf that’s okay,” Livi answered. “I know it was Maeve’s suggestion at dinner, and you didn’t say much. But I wasn’t sure how long I’d be in Northbridge, so I took all this week off and I’m free...”
    â€œI’d like to be there, but I’ve been gone for twelve days this time, to close up the farm and get everybody ready for this move. I have to go into work.”
    â€œAnd your favorite thing to do is shop for stuff to redecorate a room, and you don’t want it done without you?”
    He laughed again. “Actually, to me, that kind of shopping is punishment enough for a capital crime—I hate it. But...”
    â€œYou want to keep an eye on me when I’m with Greta in case I’m an evil Camden and not on the up-and-up,” Livi said, paraphrasing his warning that first day at the farm and also recalling his reservations when they’d talked about this before.
    He grinned sheepishly and confessed, “Something like that.”
    â€œSo do you not want us to go tomorrow?”
    He took a moment to think about it, not looking at her. Then he drew a deep breath and sighed. “Greta was really excited about it,” he admitted. “She hardly said five words all day long, but when Maeve came up with that...” His eyebrows arched as if in concession.
    â€œShe’s big enough for you to question when we get back, you know,” Livi suggested. “You can keep tabs on things that way to monitor me.”
    She didn’t know what about that made him flash a devilish little smile, before he said, “I