quit the FBI to come back here?”
The masculine voice must belong to one of the young officers she had seen when she first arrived at the police station, Megan thought as she listened guiltily to a conversation that certainly wasn’t meant for her ears.
“Yeah, and all for nothing,” Darcy replied. “They haven’t gotten together, and probably never will. So he’s thinking about going back to the FBI. Some guy named Bobby Fuentes, Special Agent Bobby Fuentes, has been calling him at least once a week for a couple of months now—”
“Hey, I think the chief wants me,” the officer interrupted. “Thanks for filling me in, though.”
“No problem.”
In the sudden silence, Megan slowly secured the tabs on Matthew’s diaper. Her mind racing, she quickly washed her hands at the sink. Then she raised the stroller seat and strapped the baby into place for the walk out to Alice’s car.
So, Jake had been talking to his former boss, Bobby Fuentes, about going back to the bureau. Only the fact that he had waited so long caused her surprise. He had lasted at least six months longer than she’d expected as Serenity’s chief of police.
What Megan wasn’t prepared for, however, was the utter sense of dismay that had grabbed at her gut when she’d realized his departure could be imminent. There was regret, too, though she couldn’t say why. She had made it clear that she wanted nothing more to do with him almost a year ago. He had betrayed her love and trust once. She had no intention of giving him a chance to do it again.
But his presence in Serenity had given her a feeling of security. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she had known, for almost twelve months now, that she could go to him in an emergency, just as she had today, and he would help her in any way he could. As long as he didn’t have to get too close to anything that might cause him pain…
Reminded of the very reason why she had left Jake in the first place, Megan slung the diaper bag over her shoulder and wheeled the stroller out of the rest room. She leveled her gaze at Alice Radford, waiting for her at the station doorway, and forced herself to smile with confidence she didn’t really feel.
“All ready if you are,” she said.
“Perfect timing. My van is parked out front.” Alice nodded to Jake, standing off to one side. “Nice to see you again, Chief Cahill.”
“Alice.” He nodded, too.
Megan risked a quick glance at him and saw that he was watching her, his expression unreadable. Again she found herself wondering what he was thinking, and again she reminded herself that it didn’t matter.
“Thanks for your help, Jake,” she said, smiling at him, as well, though she didn’t meet his gaze.
“You’re welcome, Megan,” he replied, then added much too smoothly for her peace of mind, “I’ll stop by your house later and let you know what I find out about the baby’s mother.”
“Fine.”
She sailed past him without a backward glance, pushing the stroller ahead of her. She could only hope she’d hidden the flash of panic she’d felt when he’d mentioned seeing her later. She didn’t want him stopping by her house tonight or any night. But telling him so, especially under the circumstances, would have been downright boorish.
Pausing on the sidewalk next to Alice’s van a few moments later, Megan drew a steadying breath, then bent to unfasten the straps holding Matthew in place. She was going to have to work with Jake to find Matthew’s mother, no two ways about it. She might as well get used to the idea, and the sooner, the better.
When Megan straightened again, holding him in her arms, she caught Alice eyeing her quizzically.
“What?” she asked uncertainly.
“You and Jake.” Alice shrugged and shook her head. “When you speak to each other, you’re so cool…so polite. But when you look at each other…” Again she shook her head, obviously bemused. “I know it’s none of my business, but have you two considered getting back together? You obviously still care a great deal about each other.”
Like almost everyone in town, Alice had to know some, if not all, of Megan and Jake’s past history. And like almost everyone in town, she also seemed to have an opinion about their current situation. An opinion she obviously thought Megan needed to hear.
Staring straight at the social worker, Megan tipped her chin up and made her opinion known, as well.
“Not in a million years,” she said. “Not in a million, trillion years.”
Alice smiled slightly, making no effort to hide her disbelief, then shrugged again. “Whatever you say, dear. But methinks the lady protests too much.”
Unable to conjure any further comment that would dissuade Alice from her belief, Megan lifted Matthew out of the stroller and strapped him into the car seat. Obviously having fired her best shot, Alice folded the stroller and stashed it in the back of her van, then climbed behind the steering wheel as Megan settled into the passenger seat.
“Off we go,” Alice said, starting the engine.
“Yes, indeed,” Megan agreed, forcing herself to smile despite the sudden, almost overwhelming sense of panic that squeezed at her chest.
As she rode along with Alice, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, she began to realize the full extent of what she’d done, not to mention the repercussions that would follow. Although she knew, in her heart, that she couldn’t possibly be the best person for the job, she had agreed to care for an abandoned baby. And she had also opened a door, of sorts, to Jake—one she had intended to keep firmly shut.
Already she had remembered moments from the past that would have been best left forgotten, happy moments as well as sad. Moments when the way Jake looked at her had made her pulse race.
But no more, Megan vowed. No matter what Alice Radford or anyone else seemed to think. She had gotten herself into an untenable situation with her bravado, and she had no choice but to see it through. On her own, just as she’d always done, regardless of how helpful Jake tried to be.
He hadn’t been there for her when she needed him after Will’s death. She had no intention of counting on him being there for her now. She had learned her lesson well where he was concerned, and she wasn’t about to forget it anytime soon.
Chapter Four
Jake asked Darcy not to disturb him unless it was an emergency, then walked back to his office, shut the door, and closed the blinds on the window that looked out on the rest of the police station. The lavender scent of the soap Megan used lingered in the air along with the faint smell of baby powder, making it harder than it should have been for him to collect his thoughts.
When he sat back in his desk chair and closed his eyes, he could still see Megan sitting across from him, holding little Matthew in her arms. Hell, he could almost feel her there with him. And oddly enough, it was a feeling he was in no hurry to dispel.
Not once in all the months that Jake had been chief of police had he imagined Megan would come to see him at the station. That only a few minutes ago she had been tending to a baby right here in his office was almost more than he could believe. He hadn’t
