LITMIR.BIZ

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repeated that phrase whenever his situation seemed almost too much to bear. Now he told himself those words whenever the temptation to take Pendleton in his arms was almost overwhelming. He wasn’t sure if it really applied, but it always made him feel better.

      Right now she was lifting her face to him and his breath stopped in his throat. The need to kiss those beautiful lips crashed though him like a summer storm. He stared down at her, only minimally aware that she was speaking.

      “Meg was conscious for a while and I got to talk to her,” she said.

      Carter blinked, catching hold of himself and looking quickly away so that he could breathe again.

      “That sounds like a good sign,” he muttered, hoping she hadn’t noticed his minor lapse.

      “Yes, I think so.” She sighed and he realized she looked close to the end of her rope.

      “Why don’t we go eat?” he suggested. It had been hours since their last meal, and that had been airplane food.

      “Eat?” She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think I can eat.”

      He gave her a halfhearted grin. “Well, you could watch me.”

      She patted his arm. “No thanks. I’m going to have to get out to Meg’s house,” she said, turning away.

      “Meg’s house?”

      “The children,” she reminded him just a bit impatiently.

      They left the elevator together and both turned automatically toward the parking lot.

      “I promised Meg I would go out and take care of them right away.” She shook her head. “That was the only thing she could think about and she could hardly force out the words, but I knew what she meant. All she cares about is those kids.”

      She sighed. “Poor little things. And now they are going to be saddled with an aunt they barely know instead of their mother and father.” She remembered how they had reacted to her just days before and bit her lip. How was she going to win them over?

      “Where do they live?”

      “Just outside of town, in the Las Palmas Valley. It’s probably ten minutes from here.”

      Carter frowned. “Listen, you don’t have to do that. I can make a few calls, get someone to handle this. I know some very good sources. We can get expert care out there immediately.”

      Amy stopped dead and turned to look up at him, realization dawning in her gaze. “Carter, I don’t think you understand. I’m the one who is going to ‘handle’ this. I’m going to take care of them for the duration. I’m the only one available to do it.”

      His brows came together. Something told him he wasn’t going to like the plans she was making.

      “That’s absurd. You’re not a baby-sitter.” His glance was scathing. “You’re a businesswoman. You don’t do diapers. And believe me, you don’t want to.”

      “Oh, Carter. How do you know?”

      “You’d be surprised,” he muttered, scanning the lot and spotting their cars, parked together in the next area.

      He nodded in the direction they needed to go and began to lead her there. “Where are the children now?” he asked.

      “I think a neighbor has them. I have to check on that.”

      “Then let the neighbor take care of them,” he began, but she stopped short again and faced him.

      “No, Carter. I will not let the neighbor take care of them. They are my family and my responsibility.”

      “But we have the Northridge situation to look into in the morning,” he said, looking as though he just didn’t get why she would prefer the company of children to the fast-paced atmosphere they both thrived in. “You know that’s going to blow up on us if we don’t take care of the details right away.”

      “You’re going to have to take care of it on your own,” she told him firmly. Then she hesitated, knowing it was time to make him face what she knew he didn’t want to. “Carter…” She put her hand on his arm and searched his eyes, wishing she could think of a way to soften the blow. “Carter, come to grips with this,” she said softly. “I won’t be in tomorrow. I won’t be in the day after.”

      He laughed shortly. “But you will be in the day after that. Two good days of child-care duty and you’ll be begging for an emergency assignment.”

      “No. I won’t.” She pushed her hair back behind her ear and looked at him sideways. “This has been coming for a long time. You know that. I’ve made it clear, I think. And now any decision has really been taken out of my hands. I have no choice. And neither do you.” She smiled tremulously. “You do realize what this means, don’t you?”

      “No,” he said stubbornly, avoiding her gaze, looking restlessly into the parking lot. “What?”

      “I’m not going to be working for you anymore, Carter. I warned you.”

      His head swung around and he stared at her, stunned. She was making it sound as though it was final. He’d been prepared for a short break in her presence at work, but nothing permanent.

      Oh, sure, she’d been threatening to quit, and even written up resignations to taunt him with, but he’d never taken her seriously. He had always been sure that she valued their collaboration as much as he did. Now he was beginning to realize she was talking about a complete abandonment of her responsibilities. That just couldn’t be. What was he going to do without her?

      “What are you talking about?” he asked, his voice low, his gaze intense.

      She took a shaky breath. “I promised my sister I would take care of her children.”

      He nodded tersely. “Of course you did. And we’ll spare no expense in finding the best child care—”

      “No.” She shook her head adamantly. “I’m not going to leave them with strangers. I’m going to move into Meg’s house and be with those children night and day until their mother and father are well enough to come home to them.”

      “We’ll see how long you last,” he said, managing to look more confident than he felt.

      Shaking her head, she gave an exasperated sigh and said, “Carter, read my lips. I quit!”

      Their gazes held for a long moment. Then she turned on her heel and left him.

      Carter watched her walk toward where the car was parked, and for a moment, he couldn’t move.

      This was not possible. There had to be another way. Why he couldn’t think of something right now, he wasn’t sure. Maybe he was too jet-lagged. Maybe he was just too unprepared for such a thing as was happening. In any case, his mind was fuzzy and his stomach was growling and he didn’t have a clue how he was going to get her back in the office. He only knew he was going to do it. Because he had to.

      Amy lay very still, staring at what she could see of the ceiling. There it was again. A scratching sound. She knew what it was, what it had to be. But that didn’t make it any less chilling to hear.

      Scratch, scratch. Scuffle, scuffle. Fred was riffling through the closed closet. And she knew it was going to be her job to catch him.

      The children had told her about Fred the day before.

      “He’s gone!” Scamp had cried, his eyes huge and filled with horror. “I on’y left the door open fer a little to get him water and he go’d away!” He’d clutched her around the knees, tears threatening. “Aun’ Amy, don’ let that mean ole cat get him!”

      Fred was a white mouse. A very pretty little mouse, from what she’d heard. But Fred was on the lam.

      Amy shuddered. She didn’t have a lot of experience at catching little white mice. A nice trap would have been her

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