Mommy For A Minute

Mommy for a Minute

Judy Christenberry

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MILLS & BOON

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Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter One

Damn! This wasn’t going to go well. Jack Mason shifted his almost-four-year-old against his shoulder as he rang the bell at the Yellow Rose Lane fourplex.

“Ally, I need you to be really quiet and stay next to Daddy this morning, okay?”

“Okay, Daddy.” Her voice didn’t show any concern. She probably had no idea what he was asking, but he’d keep her out of the way. He certainly didn’t want her running into The Shark’s sharp bite.

The apartment door swung open and Jack was suddenly face-to-face with the dreaded Shark. At least he thought he was. He sure hadn’t expected her to open the door with a smile. “I’m looking for Miss McNabb.”

Dark eyes flashed at him, darting from his face to Ally’s and back again. “I’m she.”

“I’m Jack Mason. Judge Robinson recommended I contact you about some cabinetry work you wanted done.”

“Yes, come in, Mr. Mason and…” She paused, staring at his child.

“Um, this is my daughter, Allison. Her child-care facility closed suddenly this morning and I couldn’t find a sitter. But she’ll stay by my side and she won’t cause any problems.”

“All right,” the woman said calmly, swinging the door wide, as if bringing a child to work was normal. She indicated that he should be seated, so he settled on a white couch that made him a little nervous. He perched Ally on his knee, whispering for her to be still.

“I’m not sure exactly how you work, Mr. Mason, but Judge Robinson raved about the quality of your work.”

“That’s very kind of him. I’d like to start by asking some questions about what you have in mind, the kind of wood, the length of time available, things like that.”

“Of course.” She watched him juggle the child while taking out pen and paper. “Isn’t it going to be difficult to hold her and write?”

Jack glared at her. He didn’t care how pretty she was. She had no business telling him how to do his job. “I’ll manage.”

She didn’t argue with him, but her gaze remained focused on his child.

“Are we only talking about one room?” he asked.

“Yes. My third bedroom. I have a month off work and I’d like to be settled in at the end of the month.”

“All right. Do you have a particular type of wood that you’d like me to use?”

“I believe you used oak in Judge Robinson’s office. I liked that a lot.”

“I want to draw, Daddy,” Ally said, reaching for the pen.

“No, sweetheart. Daddy has to write now.”

“But, Daddy—”

“No, Ally, not right now.”

Ally frowned but didn’t protest again. He held her a little closer.

“Do you want something similar to Judge Robinson’s home office?” he asked Ms. McNabb in his best professional tone.

“Yes, I do. Except I would like more storage space.”

“What kind of storage space?”

“Some bins with sliding drawers. Nothing fancy. Why don’t I show you the space while we talk. That might make everything more clear.” She stood, assuming he’d agree.

He had to put the pad and pen in one hand and hold Ally in the other, but he eventually was ready to follow the woman. Standing behind her, he realized she was tall. Around five foot nine, he’d guess.

To his surprise, she was wearing a polo shirt and jeans. And well-fitted, too. The denim fit like a second skin, hugging her curves. Very un-lawyer-like, he noted. Of course, his impression of lawyers was tainted by personal experience. The lawyers he’d dated in the past had been picky and difficult, always wanting to win every argument.

After going down a hall, she opened a door and walked inside. Following her, he stepped into an empty room, quite spacious for a home office.

“Very nice.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s good that there aren’t already some built-ins. That will save me the time of ripping them out.”

“You have limited time?” she asked sharply.

“No, but you might. Most of my customers seem to think I can do my work overnight.” He challenged her with a direct look.

“I wouldn’t expect that, especially since you seem determined to hold your daughter at the same time. You did say she is your daughter, didn’t you?”

“Yes, she is. I’ll have child care worked out by tomorrow.” Though there was no sarcasm in her voice, he was perturbed anyway.

“I see.”

He began asking questions about the type of shelving she wanted. He wasn’t surprised to discover she knew exactly what she had in mind. Picturing this woman in a courtroom, he saw a confident, persuasive attorney who could argue any case. Sitting Ally down on the floor with an extra pencil and a piece of paper, he began drawing the room, hoping his interpretation of her ideas would come close to what she envisioned. With a tape measure, he made sure everything would fit.

“Can we do storage bins along the back wall?” she suggested. “They could form a credenza of sorts for my desk.”

He found himself in complete agreement. The office was taking shape in the drawing, becoming a pleasant place to work. There were windows across the back wall that came about four feet from the floor. A credenza under them would be a great utilization of the space.

“Daddy, I need another sheet of paper,” Ally called, distracting him.

“Okay, baby. Here you go.” He ripped off another sheet of paper and handed it to his child. Then he got involved in the picture he was creating.

He asked questions of the lawyer and she provided succinct answers every time. Working for someone who knew exactly what she wanted had its advantages. And lawyers were good at that, he’d admit. It was the personal stuff they had trouble with.

An hour later, he had a finished drawing of the room and showed it to the woman. She agreed that he’d captured exactly what she wanted.

“That’s perfect. You’re a wonderful artist, Mr. Mason. How long will it take to make the room look like that?”

“Three or four weeks. I can’t be sure.”

“Perfect. I have four weeks.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I have four weeks off work. I’ll be around to monitor your work. Then, when I go back to work, I’ll have my office ready.”

“I don’t need my work to be monitored, Miss McNabb. I’m quite capable of turning out good work without supervision.” He’d clenched his teeth, knowing he was facing a battle.

“Nevertheless, Mr. Mason, I’ll be here for the entire four weeks to keep an eye on the progress of your work.”

“You mean you’ll look at it each evening?”

“I mean I’ll look at it whenever I feel like looking at it. I won’t be working during those four weeks.”

“Why not?” he demanded.

Affronted, she straightened, and her chin rose a notice. “That’s none of your business!”

“Well, I think it is my business. It’s ridiculous to take your vacation to be sure the room turns out all right. Ask Judge Robinson!”

“What I do with my time has nothing to do with you!” She put her hands on her hips, her arms akimbo, and met his eyes with a challenge. “Will you do the job or won’t you?”

Jack accepted the challenge. “I’ll do the job, but I won’t have you peeking over my shoulder all the time!”

“Fine. When can you start?”

“Today. I’ll take the measurements I need and get the lumber right away.”

“Good.”

She seemed prepared to stalk out of the room until a little voice asked, “Isn’t my picture pretty?”

Jack felt a sense of disorientation when he looked at Ally, holding up a multicolored picture. How had she done that with the pencil he’d given her?

LAUREN LOOKED DOWN at the little girl. “Why, Ally, that’s beautiful. What a nice job you did.”

“Thank you. I drew a picture like Daddy, didn’t I?”

“Yes, you did. Let’s go put it on the refrigerator,” she suggested, reaching out a hand to the child.

“No!” Jack shouted.

Lauren turned around to stare at the man. Then she realized what she’d done. She’d treated Ally like one of her brothers and sisters, pretending to be the mother, as she had ever since she was twelve.

Jack took the picture from his child. “We’ll put it on our fridge at home, Ally. That’s where it belongs. Uh, where did you get the markers?”

Ally tucked the box of colored markers behind her and looked at Lauren.

“I gave them to her. I thought she would enjoy using them.” Lauren raised her chin again. Surely the man wouldn’t object to such kindness to his child.

“She’ll get the ink on herself. Ally, just use Daddy’s pen, okay?”

“But, Daddy—”

“Ally, do as I say, please.”

The child grudgingly took the markers from behind her back and gave them to Lauren. “Thank you,” she said politely.

“You’re welcome,” Lauren replied.

The man took out his tape measure to begin measuring and marking down numbers on his pad of paper. He obviously hadn’t realized Lauren had also given his daughter a pad of paper.

With her gaze on her father, Ally carefully moved the pad of paper behind her. A quick look at Lauren invited her silence.

Lauren just stood there, thinking how cute the little girl was. She had sandy blond hair like her father and his brown eyes, but while his features were masculine and handsome, hers were delicate and beautiful.

“Daddy, I’m hungry,” the little girl said, flashing a look at Lauren.

“Yeah, baby, I’ll get us some lunch in a little while,” he said, obviously distracted by his work.

“I’ll feed her,” Lauren said quietly, hoping not to disturb him. She didn’t think he’d agree to such a plan if he realized it. She held out her hand to Ally and the two left the room very quietly.

When they reached the kitchen, Lauren whispered, “Do you like grilled cheese sandwiches?”

Ally nodded, her brown eyes big.

“Good. I’ll fix you one for lunch. We’ll cut it into soldiers. And if you eat a soldier, you get a cookie for dessert. Okay?”

The child nodded enthusiastically. Lauren sat her at the table and began preparations for lunch. In no time, she’d made a grilled cheese sandwich and cut it into three long strips, calling each one a soldier. Then she poured her a glass of milk to go with the sandwich.

While Ally ate, Lauren made three more sandwiches, two for Mr. Mason and one for herself. She also heated some tomato soup.

About that time, they both heard Jack’s voice, calling for his daughter. He came running down the hall.

“We’re in here,” Lauren called. She almost broke into laughter when he burst through the open door. One would’ve thought he’d come slashing through the jungle to rescue the princess.

“Ally! You weren’t supposed to leave my side!”

“But, Daddy—”

“I told you I was fixing her lunch,” Lauren interrupted.

“I didn’t hear you! And I don’t need you to fix us lunch. I’ll take us out to lunch. Come on, Ally.”

“But, Daddy, I’ve almost finished my soldiers and I get a cookie for each one.”

“Ally, we have to—”

“Mr. Mason, she has almost eaten all her lunch. It would be a waste of time to take her to lunch now. Besides, I’ve already made your lunch, too.” She put a plate with two grilled cheese sandwiches and a bowl of tomato soup on the table.

He stared at the food. “I didn’t ask for this!”

“No, but I thought it might save you some time.”

He didn’t move, staring at the food.

“Look, eat, don’t eat. It makes no difference to me.” She sat down to eat her own lunch.

Ally looked at Lauren’s plate. “You don’t have soldiers?”

“No, sweetie, only children get soldiers.”

Ally leaned toward her father. “Daddy, do you want my last soldier?”

Her generosity broke through Jack Mason’s stupor. “No, angel, you eat your last soldier,” he told the little girl. “I have plenty of food, thanks to Miss McNabb.”

He sat down at the table, saying stiffly, “I appreciate the lunch.”

Lauren didn’t believe him, but they ate silently and she was satisfied that he ate all the food she’d provided. Ally ate her three cookies, but she was almost half asleep by the time she finished.

“I have a bed she can sleep on,” Lauren said.

“No! She stays with me.” He stood and removed the corduroy jacket he was wearing and wrapped Ally in it.

Lauren watched as, carrying his child, he walked out of the kitchen toward the office. She wasn’t sure what was behind his watchfulness, but she wanted the little girl to be comfortable. She went to the other bedroom and pushed a big chair into her future office with two pillows and a blanket to cover the child.

He had already put Ally on the floor with the jacket bunched up at one end to form a rough pillow. She patted the chair and he nodded, transferring his daughter into the chair.

“Thank you. She’ll be more comfortable.”

Lauren nodded and left the room. Whatever the man’s hang-ups, he appeared to love his child, and that counted for something in Lauren’s book.

THE PHONE RANG and Lauren answered it, pleased to hear her youngest brother’s voice. “James, how are you?”

“I’m fine, sis. I, uh, thought I’d see if we were still on for dinner on Friday night?”

“Yes, of course, unless something’s come up for you.”

“No, I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

Lauren wondered what was going on. They’d been having dinner on Friday nights ever since he’d moved out of the house and gotten his own place. He’d finished school in June and started work immediately with a software company. Next, he’d found an apartment he could afford and left home. He’d said he needed to be independent. And besides, it was time Lauren had some time to herself.

“Good,” Lauren said, waiting for him to tell her the purpose of his call. Something was going on.

“Uh, what have you been doing today?”

Okay, stall tactics. “I’ve been interviewing a man to turn my third bedroom into a home office. He’s going to put in shelving.”

“Do you need me to come check him out?”

Lauren couldn’t hold back a grin. At the office, everyone would’ve been surprised that her brothers would think she needed their help for such a simple thing. “No, thanks, James, but I’m okay with him.”

“It might be good for him to know you’ve got brothers who can protect you.”

“I’ll let him know. I have lots of pictures around the place, you know.”

“Oh, yeah.”

There was a prolonged silence. Lauren asked, “Is there anything in particular you want me to make for Friday night?”

“For dinner, you mean? Well, I think I’d like your chicken spaghetti. I haven’t had it in a while.”

“Sure. I’ll be glad to make it.”

“And maybe your carrot cake.”

“All right.”

“And, um, I thought I might bring a friend, too. Would that be all right?”

Aha! Finally they’d gotten to the point of the conversation. “Of course. I’d love to have some of your friends. Are you bringing Ronny or Doug?” she asked, keeping the smile from her voice.

“Uh, no, I thought I’d bring, uh, Cheryl.”

“Who is that? A new friend?”

“Yeah. She has an apartment near me. I, uh, I’m afraid she doesn’t eat enough. I thought your cooking would be good for her.”

“That sounds like a good idea. I’ll see you Friday evening.”

Lauren hung up the phone, a smile on her lips. She’d played the role of mother for her six brothers and sisters since she was twelve. None of them had married, however. Had she done something wrong, that none of her siblings had found anyone to marry? And what about yourself? asked an inner voice. Where’s your special someone?

JACK SERVED his daughter her dinner, putting macaroni and cheese on her plate, peas and carrots, and some chicken cut into tiny pieces. “There. Your dinner is ready, Ally. I expect you to eat your vegetables,” he said as he helped her into her chair.

“I will, Daddy. I’m hungry.”

“Good.”

He sat down beside her, his plate filled with the same food. He’d learned how to cook properly when he’d found himself with a small child who needed good nutrition.

“I liked that mommy today,” Ally said as she worked at scooping up the peas and carrots.

Jack had just taken a bite of his own vegetables, but her words had him spitting out food in all directions.

He hurriedly wiped his mouth and cleaned up the mess he’d made. “Uh, who are you talking about, Ally?”

“That mommy. The one who made me lunch.”

“She’s not a mommy.”

“I know she’s not my mommy.” They had had this discussion several times over the past year. His daughter wanted to know what had happened to her mommy since everyone else at child care had a mommy. “But I think she’s someone’s mommy.”

“No, Ally, she’s not someone’s mommy. She lives alone.”

Ally frowned and stared at her father. “But she cut my sandwich into soldiers, and she gave me cookies.”

“Yes, she did, but she’s not someone’s mommy, and it’s important not to call her a mommy.”

“Would it make her cry?”

Jack couldn’t imagine Lauren McNabb crying. She was supposed to be tough as nails. In the office, where she was known as The Shark, they would laugh at even the suggestion that she would cry about anything. “No, she wouldn’t cry, but it might make her mad.”

“Oh. Am I going to work with you tomorrow?”

“No, I’m calling Mrs. Smith after dinner. I think she’ll keep you tomorrow.”

“I want to go with you.”

“No. Eat your dinner. It’s almost time for your bath.”

“I think she’ll miss me tomorrow.”

“Doesn’t matter. You’re going to Mrs. Smith’s tomorrow. We’re not having a discussion about it.”

He hurriedly cleaned the dishes before he took his child to the bathroom for a quick bath. Then, looking like an angel in her nightgown, she hugged his neck and got under the covers. After she said her prayers, she whispered, “Please let me go with you tomorrow?”

“No, honey. You need to play with other children and color pictures. You’ll have fun tomorrow at Mrs. Smith’s.”

Once he had her settled, he went to the phone. He’d tried several daycare centers before they came home, but they were all full. So he was going to call Mrs. Smith, who’d taken care of Ally when she was a baby.

“Mrs. Smith? It’s Jack Mason. I’ve run into a problem with child care and I wondered if you could—”

“Mr. Mason, I can’t take care of children anymore. I was in a car accident and I can barely get around.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Uh, could you recommend some place where I could leave Ally?”

“No, not really. None of my friends keep children. What happened to the place you were taking her?”

“They left a child on that little bus and he died. The city shut it down.”

“That’s terrible. Don’t take Ally back there.”

“No, I won’t.”

“Well, sorry I can’t help.”

“Yeah, me, too.”

Jack hung up the phone, at a loss. He had no more ideas of what to do with Ally except take her back to work with him for one more day.

He feared Miss McNabb would be pleased.

Chapter Two

Lauren had cleaned the house twice, redone her grocery list three times and thought about redecorating her living room. What else was she supposed to do with her time?

She’d even spent some time with her neighbor across the hall last night. Sherry was a nice woman, but they had little in common other than living across the hall from each other in the fourplex on Yellow Rose Lane. Sherry had seen Jack Mason come in yesterday morning, however, and she had questions.

“Who was that hunk who came over yesterday?”

“You must mean Jack Mason. He’s going to build some shelves in my new study.”

“My husband wouldn’t let him in the front door, looking the way he does. Good thing you’re not married.”

“He’s a handsome man, but he’s supposed to be quite talented as a carpenter.”

“Yeah, but he’s as handsome as sin. Of course, he brought a little girl with him. Do you take care of her?”

“No. He’s going to take her to child care today.”

“So it will just be the two of you? Let me know if you need company, you know, to break the sexual tension.”

“Thanks, but I’m sure we’ll be fine. He focuses on his work and hardly notices anything else.”

“Too bad. Well, keep me up-to-date!”

Lauren had promised she would, but knew she wouldn’t. There’d be nothing with which to update Sherry. Jack Mason was an attractive man, but she had no intention of getting involved with him.

His attractiveness assailed her when she opened the door to him at nine o’clock. It took a few seconds for her to realize Ally once again was in her handsome daddy’s arms.

“Ally, I’m so glad you came back to see me. Come in.”

After a moment, the man holding Ally said, “Do you mind if I come in, too?”

“Of course, Mr. Mason. I was expecting you.”

Lauren was a little embarrassed about her reaction to the little girl. She obviously had irritated Jack with her enthusiasm, too.

“I apologize for bringing Ally again. I couldn’t find anyone to take her.” He stood there stiffly, not moving past the front door, as if he thought she would deny him entrance.

“Are you a mommy?” the little girl asked suddenly.

“Ally, hush,” Jack Mason urged.

“Yes, sweetie, I’m a mommy,” Lauren said readily. She thought of herself as a mother; after all, she’d raised her siblings after their parents’ deaths.

“I’d appreciate it if you’d ignore any personal questions,” Jack said hurriedly. “Ally doesn’t know better.”

Lauren thought about explaining her life, but then she closed her lips and said nothing. Jack Mason was her carpenter, not her lover. That established, she directed him to the office.

With Ally staring at her over her father’s shoulder, Jack marched down the hall toward the empty office.

Lauren followed after a minute. He hadn’t brought in any supplies. She was curious about what he was going to do.

He was coming out of her office as she got to the door and they almost collided. “Oh, sorry,” she said.

“My daughter is drawing pictures and I’m bringing in supplies. If you’ll excuse me,” he said with exaggerated politeness.

She stood aside and waited until he was out of sight. Then she entered the office. “How are you this morning, Ally?”

“I’m fine. Daddy said I had to sit right here,” she said softly.

“I know. But I have an idea.” She left the room to go to her second bedroom. She’d stored a lot of things in that room that she just couldn’t part with when they’d sold the family home. One of them was a small child’s desk. James had used it a lot when he was little.

“Look, Ally,” she said as she carried it into the office. “You can sit in the same spot but use this desk. It’ll make it easier for you to draw your pictures.” Lauren looked at the big smile on Ally’s face. “Come on, let’s try it.”