into the hall, Josh turned around and clasped Maggie’s upper arms. Her startled look told him she hadn’t anticipated his touching her.
“You take care of yourself and Ginny.” Then he covered her beautiful lips with his, wishing he could accompany her to Kate’s house, just to be sure she and the baby were safe. But he couldn’t.
Someone cleared his throat behind them, and Josh reluctantly let Maggie go. “We’ll talk this afternoon, okay?”
Her eyes widened and she nodded but said nothing.
“Go get Ginny.”
When she reappeared only seconds later with his daughter snuggled against her, he drew a deep breath. “You got everything?”
She nodded again, pointing to the diaper bag she had slung over her shoulder. “If I don’t, Kate will have what I need.”
He drew another deep breath. What was wrong with him? He’d never had such difficulty parting from anyone. Ignoring the two men watching them, he stepped to Maggie’s side and wrapped both females in his arms.
To his delight, Maggie didn’t resist. Instead, she raised her free hand and stroked his cheek. “Take care,” she whispered and kissed him gently, then stepped out of his arms and walked toward the door.
“Maggie,” he called, then stopped.
She turned to look at him, Ginny babbling nonsense in her arms. “Yes?”
“You, too,” he muttered, unable to say what had first flashed into his mind. He didn’t love her. He didn’t ever intend to love anyone. It would give that person too much power.
But he cared about her...and Ginny.
Yes, that was it. He cared about her.
“I will,” she assured him and walked out the door.
The three men turned back to the window. It would take longer for Maggie to appear on the street because she was walking to the parking garage.
There was no danger, Josh assured himself. The bad guys didn’t even know about Maggie and Ginny. They would think she was coming from one of the other condos.
But a heavy sigh escaped him when he saw Maggie’s compact pull out into the street and drive away.
“Okay, guys, time for phase three,” he muttered.
When Kate opened the door for Maggie, who had Ginny propped on one hip, she embraced both of them.
“You’re all right!” Kate exclaimed as she backed up to let them enter.
“Of course we are. We were never in danger. Have you heard from Will?”
“Not yet. He said not to expect a call until after ten, when the trial is to start again, and it’s only a couple of minutes after nine.” Kate led Maggie toward the kitchen.
“Ginny’s a darling baby, Maggie, but this whole situation is a problem,” Kate said firmly as she gestured for her sister to sit at the kitchen table.
Maggie greeted Betty, Kate’s housekeeper and almost a family member. “How are you?”
“Fine. And glad to see you safe and sound. Coffee?”
“That would be great.” Then Maggie turned to deal with her sister’s remark. “She is a darling, isn’t she?”
“You’re going to ignore the rest?” Kate demanded, raising one brow.
“Yes. Where’s Nathan?”
“He’s upstairs playing. Angie is with him. Want to take Ginny upstairs? And then we’ll talk.”
Maggie knew there was no escape. When Kate was determined, nothing stood in her way. Maggie followed Kate’s plan, delivering Ginny to Angie, the nanny who took care of Nathan while Kate was at the diner.
When they were once more seated around the kitchen table, their coffee supplemented by warm cinnamon rolls, Kate didn’t waste a minute.
“When are you going to go back home?”
“I promised Josh I would stay today.”
“Has he found someone to take care of Ginny?”
“No, he hasn’t had a chance to, what with the witness thing.” She looked up from her coffee cup. “I apologize for getting you and Will involved.”
Kate waved away her concern. “I think Will has really enjoyed it. And I don’t think he’s in any danger.”
“I hope not. But Josh was shot when he escorted Sam into town
“You take care of yourself and Ginny.” Then he covered her beautiful lips with his, wishing he could accompany her to Kate’s house, just to be sure she and the baby were safe. But he couldn’t.
Someone cleared his throat behind them, and Josh reluctantly let Maggie go. “We’ll talk this afternoon, okay?”
Her eyes widened and she nodded but said nothing.
“Go get Ginny.”
When she reappeared only seconds later with his daughter snuggled against her, he drew a deep breath. “You got everything?”
She nodded again, pointing to the diaper bag she had slung over her shoulder. “If I don’t, Kate will have what I need.”
He drew another deep breath. What was wrong with him? He’d never had such difficulty parting from anyone. Ignoring the two men watching them, he stepped to Maggie’s side and wrapped both females in his arms.
To his delight, Maggie didn’t resist. Instead, she raised her free hand and stroked his cheek. “Take care,” she whispered and kissed him gently, then stepped out of his arms and walked toward the door.
“Maggie,” he called, then stopped.
She turned to look at him, Ginny babbling nonsense in her arms. “Yes?”
“You, too,” he muttered, unable to say what had first flashed into his mind. He didn’t love her. He didn’t ever intend to love anyone. It would give that person too much power.
But he cared about her...and Ginny.
Yes, that was it. He cared about her.
“I will,” she assured him and walked out the door.
The three men turned back to the window. It would take longer for Maggie to appear on the street because she was walking to the parking garage.
There was no danger, Josh assured himself. The bad guys didn’t even know about Maggie and Ginny. They would think she was coming from one of the other condos.
But a heavy sigh escaped him when he saw Maggie’s compact pull out into the street and drive away.
“Okay, guys, time for phase three,” he muttered.
When Kate opened the door for Maggie, who had Ginny propped on one hip, she embraced both of them.
“You’re all right!” Kate exclaimed as she backed up to let them enter.
“Of course we are. We were never in danger. Have you heard from Will?”
“Not yet. He said not to expect a call until after ten, when the trial is to start again, and it’s only a couple of minutes after nine.” Kate led Maggie toward the kitchen.
“Ginny’s a darling baby, Maggie, but this whole situation is a problem,” Kate said firmly as she gestured for her sister to sit at the kitchen table.
Maggie greeted Betty, Kate’s housekeeper and almost a family member. “How are you?”
“Fine. And glad to see you safe and sound. Coffee?”
“That would be great.” Then Maggie turned to deal with her sister’s remark. “She is a darling, isn’t she?”
“You’re going to ignore the rest?” Kate demanded, raising one brow.
“Yes. Where’s Nathan?”
“He’s upstairs playing. Angie is with him. Want to take Ginny upstairs? And then we’ll talk.”
Maggie knew there was no escape. When Kate was determined, nothing stood in her way. Maggie followed Kate’s plan, delivering Ginny to Angie, the nanny who took care of Nathan while Kate was at the diner.
When they were once more seated around the kitchen table, their coffee supplemented by warm cinnamon rolls, Kate didn’t waste a minute.
“When are you going to go back home?”
“I promised Josh I would stay today.”
“Has he found someone to take care of Ginny?”
“No, he hasn’t had a chance to, what with the witness thing.” She looked up from her coffee cup. “I apologize for getting you and Will involved.”
Kate waved away her concern. “I think Will has really enjoyed it. And I don’t think he’s in any danger.”
“I hope not. But Josh was shot when he escorted Sam into town
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