Leanne Banks - Underfoot

He leaned closer. “At Bellagio,” he said.

She moved her head in a circle. “More with me, and it’s something you should know. I, uh. We, uh—”

“Walker Gordon, when did you get back in town?” a woman’s flirty Southern drawl oozed from a few steps away.

Trina glanced at her perfectly groomed and coiffed former classmate, Blair Smythe Manning Davis, twice divorced.

“Blair—” he said, obviously searching for her last name as he stood.

She beamed, her porcelain veneers gleaming as white as chalk. “You remembered me. The last time we met we were both committed, but you’re single now and so am I.” She shot a quick dismissing glance in Trina’s direction. “It’s been so long since you and I have seen each other, Walker. Would you mind if I join you? Or am I interrupting something important?” she asked as an afterthought.

Walker looked at Trina. “We’re discussing business.”

Blair made a clucking sound and tapped her diamond-encrusted watch. “It’s way past five o’clock. Quitting time,” she said and pulled a chair from another table.

Walker helped Blair with the chair. She smiled at him as she sat down then glanced again at Trina. “Hello, I’m Blair—”

“Davis,” Trina finished because she couldn’t resist.

Blair blinked and she studied Trina.

“Trina Roberts,” she said, rescuing the woman. “You and I went to the same girls’ school.”

“Oh,” Blair said and gave a hesitant smile. “I’ll have to look you up in my yearbook.”

“I’ve let my hair grow and I was a couple years behind you,” Trina couldn’t resist adding, noticing that Blair looked razor thin and had a man-eater look in her eyes. Her hair was highlighted platinum and her skin faux-tanned just this side of oompha-loompha. Two husbands down, ready for number three. She wondered if blood dripped from Blair’s incisors at night.

“Really?” Blair said in disbelief and gave a forced laugh. “I’ll definitely have to dig out my yearbook. But enough about me. Walker, make my dream come true and tell me you’re back in town for good?”

He shot a look of discomfort toward Trina and cleared his throat. “I’m back for good.”

“That’s great. The Walthams are hosting a party this weekend. You absolutely must come with me.”

“I’m still settling in,” he said.

She gave an exaggerated pout. “You can do that anytime. I just want to borrow you on Saturday night. For starters, anyway,” she added with a seductive glint in her eye.

And so it went for twenty more minutes while Trina nursed her little glass of wine and contributed eleven nods and eight uh-huhs. The ball of apprehension in her chest turned to irritation in her stomach.

Tonight was clearly not the night that she would tell Walker about Maddie. She glanced at her watch and was forced to interrupt Blair’s latest combination of gossip and flirting. “Excuse me. I hate to say this, but I have some other plans this evening, so I need to leave.”

She stood and Walker rose to his feet. “Let me walk you to your car.”

“Not necessary. I can find it on my own.”

“I need to cover a couple more things with you,” he said, frustration edging into his tone.

“Let’s try meeting at my office. Give me a call in the morning.”

“I’ll still walk you out.”

“What a gentleman,” Blair said. “Let him walk you out and he can come back and chat with me.”

Trina gave a tight smile. “Okay. It was great seeing you Blair. You look more amazing than ever.”

“Thank you. What a sweetie you are.”

Trina headed out of the bar, feeling Walker catch up to her in just a few strides.

“Were you really going to leave me with her?” he asked.

“Hey, she’s a great contact. She knows everyone and talks about them, too.”

He adjusted his tie. “I didn’t know you went to school with her crowd.”

“I may have gone to school with her, but that doesn’t mean we were friends,” she said, approaching her car and wondering if Walker would notice the infant safety seat in her car. At least she’d remembered to put the top up on her convertible.

She knew, however, that Walker could be very observant. Her edginess ratcheted up another notch. Not wanting to tell him he was a father in the parking lot of a bar, she quickly stepped in front of him. “Sorry I could only give you a brief reprieve from Blair. She’s beautiful and well connected, though.”

“And pushy as hell,” he said and swore. “This didn’t turn out the way I planned.”

She smiled. “It happens that way sometimes.”

“I’ll call you in the morning,” he said and she felt his gaze fall over her in some kind of combination that included masculine scrutiny.

She resisted the urge to suck in her abdomen. “Fine,” she said, backing toward her car.

“We’ll get together tomorrow.”

“No problem,” she said, fighting the jumpiness in her belly at the determined expression on his face.

He nodded. “It’s good to see you again, Trina. I’ve missed talking to you. I always felt like I could level with you.”

“Mmm,” she said with a nod and lifted her hand. “Talk to you tomorrow.”

Walking the rest of the way to her car, she got inside and tossed her purse on the passenger seat. She started the engine and drove out of the parking lot. In her rearview window, she saw Walker still watching her.

ENTERING THE FOYER of her home, Trina kicked off her heels and plopped her purse and keys on the antique Italian credenza she’d bought at an auction.

The sound of her mother singing a wobbly, warbly rendition of a lullabye broke the silence. Trina rolled her eyes at the sound, but smiled at the same time. Trina and her mother hadn’t gotten along well for about twenty-eight of Trina’s twenty-nine years and they were nowhere near compatible now, but Maddie had managed to bring them to speaking terms.

Maddie had softened the edges of Aubrey’s harsh, often sharp personality, and Trina found it difficult to hold a grudge when she saw her mother willing to make a fool of herself for her only grandchild.

After her lousy meeting with Walker, Trina just wanted to see her baby. She had a terrible feeling that things would change once Walker learned the truth. Now it was just Maddie and her. And while it had been hard in the beginning and Trina never would have predicted it, Maddie provided her with a haven from the insanity of the rest of the world. She tiptoed up the stairs to the nursery and peeked inside.

Her mother eyes were closed as she continued to warble. Maddie made conversational nonsense noises and waved her little hand toward Aubrey’s face.

The poor child was probably trying to find a way to stop the noise her mother was making. Trina scolded herself for the wicked thought.

Aubrey’s eyes opened and she immediately met Trina’s gaze. Her mother’s instincts about her had always amazed her. Aubrey stopped singing mid-phrase and glanced down at Maddie. She sighed. “You’re wide-awake. Time for your Momma.”

“Thank you for taking care of her.” Maddie walked to the rocking chair and took her daughter into her arms. The soft warm weight of her filled a hollow space inside her. She looked down at her carrot-topped baby. “You smell good enough to eat,” she said to Maddie. “Did your Nanna give you a bath?”

Maddie’s mouth stretched into a wide smile and she chortled.

“She’s just like you. Loves her bath,” Aubrey said.

“Thank you, again,” Maddie said, settling into the rocking chair.

“You’re welcome,” Aubrey said. “It was a bit short notice, but since I didn’t have anything scheduled, I could help you. I don’t understand why she won’t go to sleep to the lullabye. It always worked for you.”