Kara Lennox - The Good Father

“Of course. Would she like some juice? We have orange, grapefruit and cranberry.”

“How about it, Kaylee?” Max asked. “You want juice?” He reached out to brush a strand of hair from her face, but she shrieked and hid her face against Jane’s shoulder.

“You hurt my daddy!”

Kaylee’s accusation was like a knife to Max’s heart. Of course she would see Max as the villain. She wasn’t old enough to understand the complexities of the fight she’d just witnessed. But she’d seen the outcome.

No matter what anyone else thought of Scott, he was Kaylee’s father.

“Kaylee, listen to me,” Jane said. “Your daddy lost his temper and tried to hit Max first. Max was only trying not to get hurt himself.”

“You don’t have to stick up for me,” Max said, though he was honored that Jane would do so. “I shouldn’t have hit back.”

“You did exactly the right thing,” Jane insisted. “If you hadn’t taken him down, he’d have come at you again. His temper is completely out of control. For months I told him he needed counseling, but he wouldn’t listen.”

“I can’t exactly blame him for being angry,” Max said. “He thinks I stole you. If you were my wife, and I thought some guy had poached, I might get violent, too.”

Jane blushed, and Max realized he might have been just a bit too passionate in stating his opinion. His feelings for Jane had gone beyond simple lust.

He decided a change of subject was in order. “You know, I think I will have some breakfast. It’s free, after all. Who knows when we’ll be able to set foot in a place like this again?” He certainly wouldn’t be paying for fancy restaurants until the agency brought in some larger accounts. He was grateful for the Mattress Masters of the world, but he needed more.

“Are the finances in bad shape?” Jane asked.

“Not as bad as all that. But don’t expect an extravagant raise any time soon.”

T HE PLANNED TOURof the Kidz’n’Stuff offices and manufacturing facility was obviously off the schedule, but they still had the appointment with the modeling agency.

“Maybe we should cancel that, too,” Jane said, “and just go home.” They stood in front of the hotel, waiting for the valet to bring their car around. “Clearly Ellen isn’t going to want Kaylee in her ads now.”

“I still think you should talk to the agent. Modeling can be incredibly lucrative.”

“Have you been a model?” Jane eyed him up and down, thinking his face and body could sell jeans or motorcycles by the gazillion.

He grinned. “No, but I’ve hired plenty of them. In New York, some of them make hundreds of dollars an hour.”

“Well, sure, the supermodels-”

“No, I’m talking about ordinary no-name models.”

“Really?”

“A lot of people would kill to get an interview with this agency-it’s well-known.”

“All right. I guess I should keep the appointment. Though I can’t imagine Kaylee’s going to make a grand impression with her bandages and her attitude.”

“My what?” Kaylee was always paying attention, alert for the sound of her name.

“Your mood. You’re not in a very good mood this morning.”

“Yes I am.”

“In that case, before we visit the modeling agency, you’ll let me brush your hair and put a ribbon in it.”

She had to think about that one, finally agreeing with a reluctant, “Okay.” Combing the tangles out of her long hair was a constant battle, but whenever Jane suggested getting it cut Kaylee threw a fit.

By the time the three of them entered the elegant office building that housed the Freeman Agency, Kaylee had, in fact, perked up. She looked adorable, with her Kidz’n’Stuff pink overalls, pink ruffled socks and miniature athletic shoes, and a pink ribbon in her hair. She even carried a tiny purple purse, which had been her idea, not Jane’s. Perhaps she understood what was going on here more fully than Jane gave her credit for.

The receptionist greeted them with a haughty, down-her-nose look. She was tall and elegant, with black hair swept back into a twist. She easily could have been a model herself.

“Good morning,” Jane said with confidence she didn’t feel. “Jane Selwyn and Kaylee Simone, here to see Erin Freeman.”

The woman consulted her appointment book. “If you’ll have a seat-”

“Is this Kaylee?” A woman with flaming red hair that went in all directions and a pair of thick, blue-framed glasses had burst into the room. Jane’s first thought was that she belonged on a kids’ TV show.

Jane extended her hand. “This is Kaylee and I’m her mother, Jane.”

“I’m Erin, pleased to meet you.” Her eyes never left Kaylee. “Come on back.”

“I’ll wait here,” Max said.

“No, please, come with us,” Jane said, trying not to sound too desperate. But Max knew so much more about this stuff than she did.

Max shrugged, and they all followed Erin to her enormous corner office, which featured leather furniture and an array of kids’ toys.

Erin focused her attention first on Kaylee, engaging her in conversation. Kaylee was at her friendly, cheerful best, apparently having overcome the trauma of breakfast. After a few minutes, Erin invited Kaylee to play with whatever toys she wanted, and the adult conversation started.

“Let’s take a look at her portfolio.”

“Um, right. She doesn’t have one.”

“No?”

“She’s never done any modeling.”

Erin looked confused. “Oh, but…what’s this?” She had a color printout of the Kidz’n’Stuff comp Jane had drawn.

Jane looked at Max.

“I scanned it into the computer and e-mailed it to Ellen,” Max explained.

“That’s just a mock-up I did for the ad agency where I work,” Jane said with a laugh. “I used a snapshot of Kaylee because I happened to have one on hand.”

Erin studied the ad for almost a minute without talking. Then she looked up, her eyes alight with inspiration. “Are you represented?”

“Me? I’m not a model.”

“As an artist. Although I could probably get you some print work, but if you’ll forgive me, pretty women are a dime a dozen. Artists with your talent, on the other hand, are rare. Do you have an agent?”

“Well…no.”

“I could get you commissions. Portrait work. I might even be able to get you into a gallery. What else do you have?”

“Um…”

“She can have her portfolio to you in a couple of weeks,” Max said.

“Great.”

“But what about Kaylee?” Jane squeaked.

“She needs pictures.” Erin pulled a business card out of her desk drawer and handed it to Jane. “Take her to this photographer and have her headshot done. If I have that, I can get her some work. She definitely has that certain something advertisers go wild for.”

Erin then pulled two more cards out, one for Jane and one for Max. “Mr. Remington, I hope you’ll think of the Freeman Agency for your modeling, photography and artistic needs. We have some amazing talent in our stable. Though obviously you’ve got some of your own right in your backyard. I don’t suppose you’ve done any modeling…”

“No,” Max said, closing that door in a hurry.

Jane’s head was spinning. Photos for Kaylee, an art portfolio for her…

She said nothing until they were in the elevator heading for the parking garage. “Why did you say that? An art portfolio in two weeks, are you insane?”

Max grinned. “I told you you were good. If Erin Freeman thinks you are, too…that’s not something to sneeze at.”

“But I have a job and a child to take care of. I don’t have time to put together a portfolio.”

“You did…what, four drawings in one night? Do a few more, and you have a portfolio. I’ll give you the time off if you need it.”