Cindy Kirk - Ready, Set, I Do!

This was her neighbor, she reminded herself. This was Winn, the man who’d dated many of her friends. Heck, he’d even taken out her sister-in-law before Anna and her brother had gotten involved.

“I’ll toss in two free round-trip airline tickets to a destination of your choice,” he told her, as if sensing her wavering.

It wasn’t the money or airline tickets that tempted Hailey to say yes. It was the sound of muffled crying from down the hall, from a little boy in Avenger pj’s who’d just lost his mother.

“I’ll think about it,” she promised Winn, “and give you my answer tomorrow.”

Chapter Four

“Are you really going to work for Winn Ferris?” Anna Randall’s voice rose.

Hailey looked around to see if anyone had overheard her sister-in-law. Although the streets of downtown Jackson were always filled with tourists, there were also local people who knew Anna was married to Hailey’s brother, the mayor. Since Tripp had been elected last year, both Hailey and her sister-in-law were usually circumspect in their conversations. She must have really shocked Anna.

“I haven’t decided.” Hailey lifted a shoulder in a slight shrug. “Though I’m leaning toward saying yes.”

Anna opened her mouth as if to say more when a ringing sounded from the depths of her eel-skin leather clutch. She raised one finger and eased out the phone. “I need to take this.”

While Anna, a nurse-midwife, spoke with a labor-and-delivery nurse, they continued down the sidewalk. Despite her busy schedule, her sister-in-law always made time for Hailey. Every Tuesday they had a standing lunch date. The plans were sacrosanct and could only be broken for an emergency or a baby. From this side of the conversation, Hailey could tell Jackson Hole was about to welcome a new resident.

Anna strode down the concrete in her heels while Hailey hurried to keep pace in well-worn sneakers. The jeans and light sweater she’d pulled on that morning were in sharp contrast to Anna’s studied elegance. Unlike Hailey, who was happiest being casual, her sister-in-law loved to dress up.

Despite her advancing pregnancy, Anna wore three-inch heels with a maternity dress in a color block of black, white and yellow. Her sister-in-law’s chestnut hair tumbled to her shoulders and, as usual, her makeup was expertly applied. Hailey found her lips lifting in a rueful smile. If Cassidy wanted someone with elegance and styling acumen, she should hire Anna.

And Winn, wouldn’t he do better having a mother type look after his son? Not that Hailey could imagine Winn knowing any “motherly” woman.

She’d spent a sleepless night tossing and turning, thinking of the little boy next door crying for his mother.

Anna dropped the phone back into her pocket. “Baby on the way. Luckily we’re headed in the right direction.”

Hailey glanced around, noting they’d left the quaint downtown area behind. Though not far from the center of town, the hospital was located in a predominantly residential area. Hailey calculated the distance and concluded they were only blocks from the small hospital that served Jackson Hole.

“I’ll walk the rest of the way with you,” she told Anna, when her sister-in-law wondered aloud why Hailey didn’t turn toward her car. “I need to pick up my check.”

The money for four days of work at the hospital last month wouldn’t be much. Still, being able to provide speech therapy for both inpatients and outpatients kept her skills sharp and her foot in the door. Though she hoped a full-time position would open up, Hailey would have a good reference if she needed to eventually relocate.

“Tell me why you’re considering watching the boy,” Anna asked, bringing them back to their original conversation.

They continued to walk while Hailey explained Winn’s dilemma in detail, as well as Cam’s speech-therapy needs. “He needs someone to fill in until he can come up with a permanent solution. The money he offered was compelling.”

When she mentioned the amount, Anna’s eyes widened. Then she grinned. “Winn reminds me of his father. Both are convinced money can buy anyone or anything.”

Though she knew Anna held no animosity toward the man she’d once dated casually, Hailey stiffened. “Winn understands I’d be putting my life on hold for the next few weeks to help him out. He wants to be fair.”

Anna gave a little tinkle of a laugh. “I’d say that amount is more than fair.”

“I’d like to help him.” Though Hailey hadn’t yet made her decision, she was leaning toward accepting the offer. “Besides, Cam is a sweet boy.”

“If you do agree, don’t let Winn suck you into being a 24/7 caregiver for the boy,” Anna warned. “Ultimately the child is his responsibility, not yours.”

“I know how to set boundaries,” Hailey assured Anna. But when she thought of the small boy with the sad eyes and the man with the worried brow, she wasn’t so sure.

* * *

Could the day get any worse?

Winn raked a hand through his hair. He should have convinced Hailey to start immediately rather than giving her time to think. He’d slept fitfully the night before. Memories of Vanessa and her quick smile clouded his thoughts and last night’s dreams. Like Cam, he had difficulty accepting the fact that such a vibrant woman was gone.

Though Winn wasn’t sure he’d loved Vanessa as much as he should have, she’d been Cameron’s mother. Winn remembered how bereft he’d been when his own mother had died. He’d been twelve, older than Cam, but still a boy.

He was determined to give Cam the time and space he needed to grieve in his own way. Cam hadn’t cried. Not at the funeral or on the way back to Jackson Hole. But last night Winn had stood outside the boy’s bedroom and listened to the kid sobbing. He’d felt powerless and impotent. It wasn’t a familiar feeling nor one he liked.

He’d considered going into the room to comfort the child but decided against the gesture. When Winn’s mother died, the only tears he’d shed had been in the shower where no one could hear.

Today he and Cam would start a new life. Unfortunately, Winn wasn’t sure how to begin. It had been two years since Vanessa had allowed him to see Cameron. The child he’d picked up in Atlanta was far different than the boy he’d once known.

Hot anger rose and threatened to boil over, but Winn firmly reminded himself the past couldn’t be changed. And he bore some of the responsibility. He should have pushed harder.

Thankfully, sometime before dawn, Cam had fallen into an exhausted slumber. Despite his own lack of sleep, Winn had risen at six-thirty as usual. This gave him time to get dressed and make some calls before rousting Cam. One of those calls was to his father.

“Why do you have him?” His father sounded genuinely perplexed. “The child isn’t—”

“In every way that matters, Cam is my son,” Winn interrupted, his tone brooking no argument.

Jim Ferris must not have heard, because he bulldozed onward. “You haven’t seen the kid in two years.”

“Not for lack of trying.” Winn clipped the words.

His father expelled an audible sigh. “I have connections at several top-notch boys’ schools on the East Coast. He’d get a good education at any of them.”

“I’m not sending a grieving little boy to strangers twenty-five hundred miles away,” Winn protested, though he wasn’t surprised by the suggestion. He remembered being shipped off shortly before he’d turned thirteen.

“You’re a busy man,” his father pointed out. “How are you going to tend to important business and watch a child?”

Winn briefly explained about Hailey and the temporary deal he’d offered.

“Smart move.” His father’s voice rang with approval.