Judy Christenberry - Guarding Camille

“No relatives at all?” he asked, moving silently to take her by the shoulders and turn her around. He figured the shocked look on her face was caused by his touching her. He avoided physical contact even more than personal questions.

“No relatives,” she said quietly, keeping her gaze focused on her feet.

In an attempt to lighten the moment, he said, “Maybe I should loan you some of mine. They seem to be increasing at a rapid rate.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Every one of my siblings has married or paired off in the past year. I told you about them all. Then there’s Connor O’Hara, my…cousin. And it’ll only be a matter of time before babies start making an appearance.”

“Be grateful you have family, Jake,” she ordered, her voice firm. “They’re important.”

“We’ll see if you still feel the same way tomorrow night.”

“I will. But I won’t be going to the party.”

“Yes, you will,” he told her, his voice firm. She had no choice.

“No, I won’t.”

“Why not?” he demanded, irritation filling him. What was wrong with her? Didn’t she think his family was good enough? That thought was laughable. The Maitlands were sought out by everyone.

“Because I don’t have anything to wear.”

JAKE STARED AT HER. He’d expected fear, or something just as serious, to be the reason for her reluctance. But fashion?

Suddenly he felt as if he’d been hibernating for the past six months. Camille had been wearing maternity clothes she’d purchased just before he’d brought her to Texas. She hadn’t had a lot, but never once had she complained.

Since she’d had the baby, she’d continued to wear some of her maternity shirts. He’d noticed a pair of slacks that he supposed she’d worn before her pregnancy. But her wardrobe was definitely limited.

“Why didn’t you say something?” he demanded, frowning fiercely.

Her eyes rounded in surprise. “I haven’t had a great need for a cocktail dress, Jake.”

“But you’ve needed other things, haven’t you? My sisters go shopping all the time. You haven’t had anything new in six months.” He should have thought of this before.

“Jake, contrary to popular belief, a woman doesn’t have to shop every day to be happy. Besides, your sister Abby brought me a catalog when I was in the hospital and I ordered some nursing—some things. And one of the nurses helped me pick out what I’d need for the baby.”

He shook his head. “I’m calling my sister Anna. She’ll get you a dress for tomorrow night. And I’ll get you some catalogs so you can order regular clothes.”

The spark of interest in her eyes told him she liked his idea. The pleasure he derived from doing something for her alarmed him. It was just his job, after all.

Then she frowned. “Can you access my bank account? I don’t have any money with me.”

“I’ll take care of it. You can pay me back when all this is over.”

A wistful look filled her eyes. “Will it ever be over? It’s crazy that I’ve been in hiding so long.”

“Yeah, it’ll be over. We’ve got evidence against Vince now, thanks to some of the clues you gave us. And he’ll face charges from the hostage episode at the clinic day care in April. All we have to do is find him. He’s gone underground, but he won’t have the patience to stay there.”

In fact, though Jake would never have agreed to use Camille as bait, that was exactly what was happening. Eckart was desperate to find his ex-wife and had trailed her to Texas. Jake was certain someone had passed on the information to Eckart and wondered if the leak had been instigated by his superiors in the FBI.

“Are you sure?”

He frowned, wondering if she’d read his mind. “Sure about what?”

“I mean, will the government advance you money?”

“Yeah.” The government…or his mother. How strange to have met a woman who was unaware of his family’s wealth. He’d vowed never to marry after he’d discovered his first love was coolly calculating his inheritance. Between that and his family’s social prominence, she’d intended to cut a large swath through Texas society.

“Can you call Abby? I don’t know Anna and—”

“Abby stays pretty busy with her practice.”

“I know that.”

She should, Jake thought, since Abby had delivered the baby—Jamie, he finally acknowledged. “Anna plans weddings. She’ll know where to get a dress quickly.”

He reached for the phone, and as he’d expected, his sister immediately agreed to help. He handed the phone to Camille so she could discuss color and style.

“Jake?”

He whirled around to see what Camille needed. “Yeah?”

“Anna wants to bring some dresses out here. Is that okay?”

They were staying on Garrett Lord’s ranch in a cabin remotely situated from the main house. Jake didn’t want to risk Eckart following his sister out here in the hopes of finding Camille.

He took the phone. “Anna, can’t we do this differently? Take a dress to Mom’s and Camille can change when we get there.”

“But it might not fit, Jake. Since she just had a baby, she’s not sure of her size.”

“She’s wearing pants she wore before the baby— I mean, before she was pregnant. So the same size should do.”

Camille tugged on his sleeve. “Jake, I—”

“Well, you are,” he told her, anxious for this conversation to be over.

“Yes, but—on top I’m—I’m bigger.”

Her cheeks were flushed, but Jake figured they were pale compared to his face. Damn, he didn’t want to think about her breasts. But it was all he could think about now.

“Anna, bring the dresses to the main ranch house and we’ll meet you there.” He pressed the phone closer to his ear. “And don’t tell anyone what you’re doing.”

“Of course not. But does Camille need anything else? I might as well pick up other things while I’m shopping for her.”

Anna sounded amused, which irritated Jake all the more. He handed the phone to Camille with a gusty sigh. “Anna wants to know if you need anything else.”

“Can we afford—”

“Yes, whatever!” He didn’t want any more talk about Camille’s body or her wardrobe.

Camille began a discussion with Anna, but a thin wail stopped her almost at once. “Oh, Jamie—”

“I’ll get him. Finish up with Anna.”

He fled the room. He’d much rather deal with a newborn baby than continue this conversation.

The baby was kicking his legs and waving his arms, his face puckering as he yelled. Jake sighed. He was learning how insistent a newborn could be. The first thing to do was check his diaper. Jake knew that much.

After changing him, Jake eased his big hand under the baby’s body and lifted him to his shoulder. “Now, listen, Jamie, Mom’s kind of busy, so you need to stop that yelling.”

Much to Jake’s surprise, the baby quietened. For a minute. Then little whimpers began to build. Panic filled Jake. What was he supposed to do? He drew a deep breath, determined not to be bested by a seven-pound infant. Even if he was a cute one. He cradled Jamie in his arms, then tucked the baby’s small fist into his tiny mouth, hoping he could fool the baby into believing he was being fed.

The sucking noises were a dead giveaway. The kid wanted to eat. Jake was proud of himself for correctly assessing the situation, but he knew he didn’t have the equipment for a successful resolution. Which, of course, brought his mind back to Camille’s breasts.

Man, he needed some distance from his two captives! He left the nursery and returned to the living area, where Camille was on the phone.

It didn’t take Jamie long to realize that his fist wasn’t providing satisfaction. Just as Jake came into the room, the baby let out another wail.