He was getting his embarrassment under control, she could tell, since the red in his cheeks began to disappear.
If only she were as quick to recover. “I...I don’t think—”
“Think about Ginny. I don’t know how to care for her. Every time I touch her, she cries. Her mama just died and—”
Those words got Maggie’s attention. “Her mother just died?”
“Yeah, so—”
“You don’t seem very broken up about it!” She couldn’t keep the accusatory tones out of her voice. Having lost both of her parents, Maggie took death seriously.
She expected a quick show of sorrow, a repentant attitude. Instead she discovered frustration when she looked at him.
“I’m not exactly celebrating,” he said grimly, “but I hadn’t seen Julie in almost a year and a half. She never even told me about Ginny. It wasn’t until today that I learned of her death and Ginny’s existence. I’ve been hit kind of hard.”
Maggie turned her head to stare at the baby, whose warm little body pressed against Maggie. Sympathy welled up in her for the orphan. Her own mother had died at Maggie’s birth. She and Ginny had a lot in common, because the child would never remember the mother who’d given her life, just as Maggie didn’t.
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
“I’m still hoping you’ll come home with me.”
She studied him under lowered lashes. He was a sexy, handsome man. A lot of women wouldn’t question his intentions if he asked them to come home with him. They’d even be disappointed if he expressed disinterest. Maggie, however, wasn’t surprised by his promise that he didn’t mean anything sexual with his offer.
Kate said she gave off the wrong vibes to single men. Maggie didn’t know if that was true, but she’d found it easier to deal with numbers than real live men. Ginny, however, was another story.
“Where do you live?”
He sat up straighter, a spark of hope lighting his eyes. “I have a condo a few blocks from here, near the Plaza.”
His private investigator business must be successful, Maggie realized, since that was a pricey neighborhood. “Even if I take care of Ginny tonight, that’s only going to delay your problem twenty-four hours.”
“One Day at a Time. That’s my motto.” He sent her a smile that she figured usually got him whatever he wanted from a woman.
“Why did you take her?”
He looked like she’d thrown a glass of cold water in his face. “What?”
“I said—”
“I heard you. Because I’m her father.”
“Are you sure?”
“Why are you asking these questions? What difference does it make to you? I asked you to help care for her for twenty-four hours, not write a biography.”
Maggie stiffened, causing Ginny to shift. “It seems to me that you should be more agreeable if I’m supposed to do you a favor.”
“Ah. We’re wanting to know how much I’ll offer? Is that it?”
Enraged, Maggie slid from the booth. “Here, Mr. McKinley, take your baby and leave. I don’t need insults.” Though she tried to hide how reluctant she was to let Ginny go to her father, she bent toward the man so she could hold on to the soft bundle of joy a little longer.
“Wait!” he protested, panic in his eyes. “I didn’t mean to insult you. And you’d be doing me a huge favor. I don’t mind paying.”
“I don’t think I asked for any money.”
“Maggie, please help me, just until tomorrow.”
She hadn’t intended to agree to his crazy plan. After all, she didn’t know him. Her father may have trusted him with a few family secrets, but he hadn’t said he’d hand over one of his daughters to him for repayment.
But Maggie had no fear that he would be interested in her. And she had a lot of fear about what would happen to Ginny. Not that she herself knew all that much about babies, but she knew a little. She’d taken care of Nathan on occasion.
“Please?” His blue eyes, exactly like Ginny’s she suddenly realized, pleaded along with his word.
“I...I suppose I could help you out tonight. I’ll take Ginny home with me and you can pick her up in the morning.” She cuddled the sleeping baby against her again, aware of how happy she was to do so.
“No!”
Maggie blinked at the man as he jumped to his feet, crowding her in the aisle.
“But you said—”
“I asked you to help me, not take my baby away.”
“But I can’t spend the night at your place. That would—”
“That would be best,” he hurriedly said. “I promise I won’t touch you. Ginny needs to get used to her new home.”
She tried to picture what it would be like to stay in the same apartment as Josh McKinley. He probably had a bachelor pad, completely inappropriate for a baby. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“You’re not taking Ginny some other place. She stays with me. But I could use your help.”
Ginny smacked her rosebud lips, as if still taking the bottle, and Maggie’s heart swelled with love. She’d heard of falling in love at first glance, but she hadn’t expected the recipient of her emotions to be a baby. “All right. I’ll help you out until morning. I go to work at seven-thirty.”
“Maggie, you’re the best!” he exclaimed, smiling that sexy smile again. “Are you ready to go? We need to buy some diapers and some milk before we go home.”
Josh couldn’t believe his luck. He’d convinced Maggie to come home with him and take care of Ginny.
They’d moved the baby seat to the back and Maggie had strapped Ginny in without waking her. Then they’d driven to one of the few all-night groceries. Josh knew its location because he usually shopped at odd hours.
Maggie had remained in the car while he’d purchased only the necessities. Then they headed toward his apartment.
“I hope you don’t mind not going to your place. But it’d take an hour to go to North Kansas City and back. I bought you a toothbrush.” He glanced her way, not sure what kind of response he was looking for.
“Thank you. I’ll pay you back as soon as we get the baby settled.”
Her cool tones told him he hadn’t been forgiven for the things he’d said earlier. “Come on, Maggie. I didn’t mean to insult you. I apologized.”
“Yes,
