Caitlyn's Christmas Wish Page 6

  “Here. Why don’t I take him while you fix his bottle?”

  Caitlyn hesitated. It would be rude to refuse a father access to his own son, in his parents’ house, no less. However, she couldn’t help wondering what Grant was playing at. Their divorce became finalized while she was still in rehab. Grant hadn’t been present for the birth of their son. Why did he care now?

  But she supposed this one time wouldn’t hurt. “Okay.”

  Grant’s hand brushed her rib cage as he took the baby into his arms. When Caitlyn shrunk back, he said languidly, “You used to like my touch.”

  She used to like having him pay attention to her in other ways, too, Caitlyn thought darkly, such as listening to her and laughing with her. But she’d gotten over it after realizing her dreams didn’t line up with his. She proceeded to fix Brody’s bottle while Grant patted the baby’s back. Finally, Brody stuck his thumb in his mouth.

  Blessed silence.

  After shaking the bottle to mix the formula, she reached for Brody. Grant surprised her again by taking the bottle from her grasp. “I’ll feed him.”

  “You’re sure?” He pierced her with a determined look. “Okay, fine.” They headed into the adjoining room. Grant settled the baby in the crook of his arm. “Lean him back a little. He can hold his own bottle,” she instructed.

  Grant arched a brow. “Thanks. I guess I’m jes’ a country bumpkin who don’t know a thing about babies.”

  Caitlyn’s face heated. During their exchange, little Brody reached for the bottle and plopped it in his mouth. Grant looked down at him and chuckled. “Hungry, are you?” The baby slurped his milk faster than Caitlyn had ever seen. But soon, he shoved the bottle away and cried, choking at the same time.

  “Sit him up.”

  Grant did as Caitlyn commanded and patted Brody’s back. “It sounds like he’s having a hard time breathing. Do you have one of those suction things?”

  “Yes, I’ll be right back.”

  Running upstairs, she grabbed a clean burp cloth from her diaper bag along with the suction bulb she always packed and hurried back.

  “Thanks, honey,” Grant said as she handed him the necessary items. Sweeping her gaze over the adjoining rooms, Caitlyn saw that Scott had put the game away and vanished from sight.

  They worked to clear Brody’s sinuses. Once that was done, he seemed to breathe better and Grant gave him the bottle again. When Brody finished slurping, Caitlyn said, “Sit him up again. Give all that milk a few seconds to settle in his tummy.” Sure enough, a loud burp emitted from the little tyke and milk dripped from the corners of his mouth. Grant gently wiped it off.

  “Wow, buddy. You sure know how to belch like a man. Proud o’ ya.”

  A chuckle bubbled up from Caitlyn before a thought occurred. “This is the first time you’ve fed him a bottle, isn’t it?”

  “Yep. But I aim to do it a lot more often. And maybe not just him but a few others.” He settled his gaze on her midsection before slowing raising it to meet hers.

  Caitlyn’s heart nearly stopped. Surely he didn’t mean what she thought he meant. “Um, Grant? You feeling okay?”

  “Never better. Why?”

  “After last night, I just wondered.”

  With a sigh, Grant set Brody down, who whimpered. Without thinking, Caitlyn picked him up and settled him on her lap.

  “You wanna talk about last night? Okay, let’s talk.” He leaned forward and pinned her with his puppy dog expression. “I’m sorry for what I did. It was incredibly insensitive of me to think you might enjoy sharing a kiss under the mistletoe.”

  “In a very public place, I might add.”

  “That never stopped you before.”

  “We were a couple before, remember?” With effort, Caitlyn managed to keep the acid from her tone. “You can’t expect to waltz back into my life and demand a passionate kiss among your hometown peeps just because you’re now a hotshot country music star. I’m sure those other women were willing to crawl on their hands and feet for the same opportunity, but I’m not like them.”

  “I know. And that’s what makes you so special, Caitlyn.” He cupped her cheek with his soft hand. A shiver ran through her. He knew all the right words. She’d give him that. At one time, she’d thought he actually meant them.

  “Truth is, I’ve made some mistakes lately. I went down a path I’m not proud of. The women. The drugs. Jail time. Now my band members are splitting and I’m just trying to hold things together. I figured I would finish my obligations for the year and then take some time off to decide what I really want to do. I never wanted to be a dad, but I have to admit we’ve got a cute kid. Wanna try for another one?”

  Chapter Ten

  “Grant,” she warned.

  “Okay. Just kidding. At least for now.” He winked.

  “Good. Because I’ve got more important things to worry about right now. Apparently, last night’s kiss went viral.”

  “I know. Isn’t it great?”

  Caitlyn popped out of her seat and lifted Brody to her shoulder before she began pacing. “No. It is not great, Grant! I’ve tried to live a low-key life ever since I began rehab.”

  “I hate to break it to you, babe, but your time in rehab is public knowledge.”

  Caitlyn cringed at the thought. She wasn’t proud of her past but she couldn’t change it. “I know but . . . you don’t understand. I’m enrolled in health and nutrition classes at UNLV. I’m not sure what I’ll do with this degree but I want to live an exemplary life for future clients.”

  Grant shook his head. “I wouldn’t worry about that. Do you have any idea how many people have succumbed to weaknesses or peer pressure and gone down a dark path? More than you think.”

  Oh . . . she couldn’t think about that now. “Ridge didn’t deserve to be brought into our mess.”

  “If you’ll recall, I’m not the one who invited him to participate.” A hard edge entered Grant’s voice.

  He had a point. Still, Caitlyn couldn’t stand by and let his name be dragged through the mud. “See what you can do to cover this up, Grant. All right?”

  To her surprise, Grant stood and came almost nose to nose with her. “Why should I cover up for my brother, the man whose eyes are always locked on my wife?”

  “Ex-wife,” she gritted out. “You seem to be forgetting that a lot lately.”

  “Yeah, well, if his puny business suffers for the part he played in last night’s debacle, then I’m all for it.”

  Caitlyn gasped. “You don’t mean that!”

  “Oh, honey,” he answered in a long, smooth sigh. “I do.” He came ever closer, so close that Caitlyn could see the lighter flecks in his amber eyes. He lowered his voice a notch and said in the seductive tone that used to make her go weak in the knees, “And I hope to say those two words in front of a preacher again very soon.”

  He crushed his lips to hers. Caitlyn felt none of the affection she used to feel in his kiss.

  Brody’s shrill cry rent the air. Caitlyn stepped out of Grant’s reach. “I’m think it’s time for you to leave.”

  “I agree,” he said, heading for the door. “I’ve got some things I need to take care of. But I hope you’ll think about what I said.”

  ***

  The relief Caitlyn felt at Grant’s departure was short-lived. Dwarfed by her concern for Brody, who slept only for a few minutes at a time due to breathing troubles, another problem arose.

  Her mother.

  Sherri Drevier’s name lit up the screen of her cell phone less than ten minutes later. Caitlyn groaned before accepting the call. “Hello, Mother.”

  “Darling,” her mother said, gasping, “I just heard some disturbing news on the television.”

  “Yes?”

  “Is it true that you are in Danzy fraternizing with your ex-in-laws?”

  “Yes, Mother. I was invited to spend the holidays with the Reels.”

  “I’m surprised you would want to spend any time at all with Grant.”
/>
  “Grant wasn’t expected to be here.”

  “Oh. Well, thank goodness for that, at least. But darling, your father and I just saw a video clip of you kissing Grant’s brother. What was his name again?”

  “Ridge. And yes, that is correct.”

  “How could you, Caitlyn?” Sharp disappointment in her mother’s voice pierced Caitlyn’s chest. “Haven’t you been ill-treated by them enough?”

  “Ridge isn’t like that.”

  “Exactly how serious was this kiss?”

  Caitlyn gulped. Her parents made no secret of their disapproval when she married Grant. They’d hoped she would choose a business magnate like her father instead of “that philanderer.” But Ridge was different. In fact, Grant was the odd man out as far as his entire family was concerned. What the Reels had to offer was truly special to a woman who had never experienced familial love along with the highs and lows that naturally occur with sibling interaction.

  “It was just for show,” she lied. “Grant was egging me on, so I figured it was a way to get him to back off.”

  “A gutsy move but a good one, if you’re sure that’s all there was to it. You can still go back to modeling, Caitlyn.”

  “No, Mom. That’s not true. I’m getting too old.”

  “Twenty-seven may have been considered old in the modeling business when I was your age, but makeup and technology have changed so much, you have some good years left. And there will always be opportunities for more mature women in other venues.”

  Hmm. As in advertising a certain brand of wrinkle cream? Or worse, disposable undergarments for incontinence? No thanks.

  Brody awoke with a start and cried out in pain. “Oh, my,” Sherri said. “Is that Brody howling?”

  Caitlyn stood and, with difficulty, stuck her phone between her shoulder and chin while swaying her hips side to side in a soothing motion. “Yes, he’s not feeling well. In fact, I’d better end the call so I can help him.”

  Sherri sighed and said, “All right, darling. Let me know when you want to get back into the business. I still have connections, though they are dwindling fast.”

  A good thing in Caitlyn’s book. Why couldn’t her mother let her dream die a natural death? Some dreams needed to do that while other yearnings gave birth to new dreams. “Thanks, Mom. I’ll keep that in mind.”

  After they’d said their goodbyes, Caitlyn brought him downstairs to a rocking chair and held him through the day. Wishing she had a baby swing didn’t help. Becoming increasingly cranky with Brody’s grumpiness, Caitlyn snapped at a reporter who had somehow gotten her cell number. “Leave me alone, okay? What I do is my business!” She slammed the phone shut just as Sierra’s family came in the door late in the afternoon. “Ugh!”

  Sierra peeked her head around the corner. “Are you okay?”

  Caitlyn took a calming breath. “I will be. I don’t quite feel like my normal self.”

  “Can’t say I blame you with everything that’s happening.” Sierra offered her a pitying smile. “Brody’s still not feeling well?”

  “No. I gave him a dose of baby acetaminophen to bring his temperature down, but it hasn’t helped much.”

  Sierra’s brow lowered in worry. “Ibuprofen sometimes works better. Would you like me to pick up a bottle for you?”

  “Sure. Thanks.”

  “No problem. Don’t worry, he’ll be good as new before long.”

  In truth, Caitlyn was becoming increasingly concerned for him. “I wonder if I should take him to a doctor.”

  “I think all the medical practices are closing by now, but the ER is always open, of course.”

  Caitlyn weighed her options. It wasn’t ideal, but she would feel better having the little guy checked out. With a nod, she said, “I think that’s what I’ll do.”

  “Let’s call Ridge and have him go with you.”

  “Oh, no,” Caitlyn protested. “I’m sure he’s tired after a long day at work. I can find the place on my own.”

  “Or I can go with you. I just need to let Scott know.” Caitlyn started to protest again but Sierra stopped her. “Why don’t you gather what you need and I’ll meet you at the front door?”

  “Sierra, I can’t take you away from your family. It could be hours.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Hurry and get your stuff.”

  “All right.” Caitlyn packed a fresh diaper, wipes and a bottle, which she didn’t know if Brody would drink since he hadn’t wanted anything else that day. Coming back downstairs, astonishment and delight filled her when she saw Ridge waiting by the front door. “Ridge!”

  “Hey.” His brows crinkled when they landed on Brody. “Poor little guy. He looks miserable.”

  So did he. “Long day?”

  Ridge ran a hand through his disheveled hair. “It wasn’t too bad until I came home to a media van parked in my front yard. Grant’s stunt apparently worked.”

  “Hmm. They haven’t been here.”

  “This guy was a straggler who just came from the hotel where Grant entertained them, or so he told my neighbor. He just wanted a picture of my house. I don’t know if he got one or not before I kicked him off my property.”

  “He probably did. Whatever story Grant wanted the media to get, they got.”

  A low growl followed Caitlyn’s theory. “Ready to go?”

  “You’re taking me?”

  “Of course. I came as soon as Sierra called.”

  Caitlyn shook her head in amazement. “You’re wonderful.”

  “I don’t know about that. I’m just doing what any guy would do.”

  Not any guy and they both knew it. “Let’s go.”

  He wasted no time driving them to Danzy Medical Center, though he also drove carefully. A dour-faced woman whose hair was pulled into a tight bun checked them into the emergency room. There, they began their long wait.

  Chapter Eleven

  Caitlyn and Ridge settled themselves uncomfortably on a couple of chairs. Her heart melted at the sight of Ridge holding Brody against his chest. Ridge’s tie would be completely ruined by Brody’s drool but he didn’t seem to mind. “You say Brody’s been running a fever all day?”

  “Yes. At first I didn’t pay much attention because Grant came over.” Caitlyn was still perplexed about the visit. He’d basically made a nuisance of himself, yet she couldn’t dismiss the compassion he’d shown for the first time in a very long time.

  “What did he want?” Ridge asked in alarm.

  An uneasy feeling spread through Caitlyn as she recalled Grant’s not-so-subtle hints. “I might be imagining things, but Grant seems to want to get back together with me.”

  Ridge pressed his lips together as if warding off biting words.

  “Of course, I could be wrong.” But she didn’t think so. Not after overhearing Charles’s phone conversation with her dad and especially not after Grant kissed her.

  Finally, Ridge said, “Grant seems at odds with himself, like he’s trying to convince not only us but himself that he’s turned a new leaf.”

  “Kind of makes me feel like I’m on a roller coaster ride. Did he fib a lot when he was a kid? Or perhaps he had a wild imagination?”

  Ridge readjusted Brody’s head, which had fallen to one side. “Absolutely. Grant was always coming up with a good prank. One time when I was eleven and he was seven, he and my dad switched all of the cream middles of a package of Oreo cookies with toothpaste. Sierra and I were so mad. Grant said that Dad did it. I guess he was partially right.”

  Caitlyn laughed softly. “Oh, no. I definitely missed out on that stuff growing up.”

  “Yeah. Grant was doing something whacky. When he started strumming on that guitar of his, we all hoped it was a passing phase. To our surprise, he actually got pretty good at it. When he was in junior high school—eighth grade, I think it was—Grant liked this girl, Cara. She was from another part of town. He wrote her a song. Wish I could remember the name.”

  “What was the song about?”
<
br />   “What a lovesick puppy he was just thinking about her.” Ridge chuckled. “One night, he decided to serenade her with this song. By that time, I obtained my driving license and he wanted me to drive him to Cara’s house. I wasn’t about to get mixed up in that so I said no.”

  Enraptured by this story she’d never heard about her ex-husband before, Caitlyn leaned closer, catching a whiff of Ridge’s spicy cologne. It reminded her of last night. Hmm. Maybe she shouldn’t get too close. “So what happened? Did he serenade this girl?”

  “Not quite. He decided to take the keys to my parents’ car and drive over there himself.”

  “Uh-oh.”

  “Yeah. He actually made it to Cara’s house in one piece and tried to park the car but unfortunately, he ran into the mailbox. According to Grant, the scraping metal made such a racket that before he could even get out of my parents’ car with his guitar, her parents came running out of their house, screaming at the top of their lungs. They thought someone had a head-on collision. My parents were obligated to replace the mailbox. Needless to say, Grant never sang his song to Cara or even spoke to her the rest of the school year.”

  Caitlyn laughed so hard tears began rolling down her cheeks. Only when an older couple with a teenaged boy from across the way glared at them did she blink them away. “It was puppy love, all right. Grant was still wet behind the ears.”

  Ridge chuckled. “I think every guy makes a fool of himself over a girl at least once in his adolescent years. It’s almost a prerequisite for growing up.”

  “Oh, really? So what is your story? Whom did you make a fool over?”

  Ridge held her gaze without responding. Aside from Amelia, she silently amended. Then, surprisingly, a smile played on his lips. Lips that she’d kissed twice last night. Her stomach tightened in response. She much preferred the feel of Ridge’s lips on hers over Grant’s.

  “Her name was Jolene Johnson. I was a freshman in high school. I’d just joined the band and was assigned to play third trumpet.” Ridge shook his head. “Jolene played second trumpet in our small band. I wanted to move up just so I could sit by her. I practiced every night until I felt good enough to try out. When our band teacher told me to play, I got really nervous and squeaked through the entire song. Memorable? Yes. So much so, in fact, that at every dance that year, she and her friends came up to me and spoke to me in high squeaky voices and then scattered away, laughing. It didn’t help that I went overboard on cologne in those days. They always had something to laugh about when I was around after that.”