My Baby, My Love Read online

  Courteous, courageous and commanding—these heroes lay it all on the line for the people they love in more than fifty stories about loyalty, bravery and romance. Don’t miss a single one!

  AVAILABLE FEBRUARY 2010

  A Vow to Love by Sherryl Woods

  Serious Risks by Rachel Lee

  Who Do You Love? by Maggie Shayne and Marilyn Pappano

  Dear Maggie by Brenda Novak

  A Randall Returns by Judy Christenberry

  Informed Risk by Robyn Carr

  Five-Alarm Affair by Marie Ferrarella

  AVAILABLE MARCH 2010

  The Man from Texas by Rebecca York

  Mistaken Identity by Merline Lovelace

  Bad Moon Rising by Kathleen Eagle

  Moriah’s Mutiny by Elizabeth Bevarly

  Have Gown, Need Groom by Rita Herron

  Heart of the Tiger by Lindsay McKenna

  AVAILABLE APRIL 2010

  Landry’s Law by Kelsey Roberts

  Love at First Sight by B.J. Daniels

  The Sheriff of Shelter Valley by Tara Taylor Quinn

  A Match for Celia by Gina Wilkins

  That’s Our Baby! by Pamela Browning

  Baby, Our Baby! by Patricia Thayer

  AVAILABLE MAY 2010

  Special Assignment: Baby by Debra Webb

  My Baby, My Love by Dani Sinclair

  The Sheriff’s Proposal by Karen Rose Smith

  The Marriage Conspiracy by Christine Rimmer

  The Woman for Dusty Conrad by Tori Carrington

  The White Night by Stella Bagwell

  Code Name: Prince by Valerie Parv

  AVAILABLE JUNE 2010

  Same Place, Same Time by C.J. Carmichael

  One Last Chance by Justine Davis

  By Leaps and Bounds by Jacqueline Diamond

  Too Many Brothers by Roz Denny Fox

  Secretly Married by Allison Leigh

  Strangers When We Meet by Rebecca Winters

  AVAILABLE JULY 2010

  Babe in the Woods by Caroline Burnes

  Serving Up Trouble by Jill Shalvis

  Deputy Daddy by Carla Cassidy

  The Major and the Librarian by Nikki Benjamin

  A Family Man by Mindy Neff

  The President’s Daughter by Annette Broadrick

  Return to Tomorrow by Marisa Carroll

  AVAILABLE AUGUST 2010

  Remember My Touch by Gayle Wilson

  Return of the Lawman by Lisa Childs

  If You Don’t Know by Now by Teresa Southwick

  Surprise Inheritance by Charlotte Douglas

  Snowbound Bride by Cathy Gillen Thacker

  The Good Daughter by Jean Brashear

  AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 2010

  The Hero’s Son by Amanda Stevens

  Secret Witness by Jessica Andersen

  On Pins and Needles by Victoria Pade

  Daddy in Dress Blues by Cathie Linz

  AKA: Marriage by Jule McBride

  Pregnant and Protected by Lilian Darcy

  DANI SINCLAIR

  MY BABY, MY LOVE

  DANI SINCLAIR

  An avid reader, Dani Sinclair didn’t discover romance novels until her mother lent her one once when she came for a visit. Dani has been hooked on the genre ever since, but she didn’t take up writing seriously until her two sons were grown. With the premiere of Mystery Baby for Harlequin Intrigue in 1996, Dani has kept her computer busy ever since. She’s a two-time RITA® Award finalist, for Better Watch Out in 1998 and Midnight Prince in 2008. Dani lives outside Washington, D.C., a place she’s found to be a great source for both intrigue and humor!

  You can write to her in care of the Harlequin Reader Service.

  For Rhonda Harding Pollero (goddess extraordinaire) for unstinting help, unwavering friendship and incredible talent. Best five-dollar investment I ever made.

  And always, for Roger, Chip, Dan and Barb, who never fail to be there for me.

  CONTENTS

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  PROLOGUE

  Her heart thudded in her chest. Despite the early-morning hour, Jerome’s red sports car was already in the parking lot behind the bank. Fear of another confrontation with her husband nearly made Sydney get back in her car and drive away.

  Then she spotted Mrs. Argossy. The bank manager was struggling to hang on to a dozen balloons while lifting a case of soda from the trunk of her car. Jerome wouldn’t start a scene in front of his boss. Not when he was up for promotion again. All Sydney had to do was stay near Mrs. Argossy and she could start the morning without a battle. And maybe if she saw him early and got it over with, he wouldn’t disrupt the jewelry store where she worked by coming over at lunch.

  “Need some help?” she called out.

  “Sydney! Good morning! Some help would be wonderful.”

  “Someone’s birthday?” she asked.

  “Janet’s. We’re going to have a party after work this afternoon. I thought I’d get a jump on things by bringing my contribution early, but I see Jerome is already here. You two certainly do get up early for a pair of newlyweds.”

  Sydney tried to slow the nervous hammering of her pulse by taking the case of soda and reaching for a gallon of ice cream. Gratefully, Mrs. Argossy lifted a gaily decorated cake and shut the trunk.

  “We’re hardly newlyweds,” Sydney said quietly. She didn’t add that they were about to become divorce statistics as soon as she met with her lawyer.

  Mrs. Argossy had to set down the cake to unlock the bank doors. She repeated the process once more before they were inside. Empty, the place looked eerie to Sydney. She trailed after Mrs. Argossy past the counters to the rear of the building. There she had to wait again while Mrs. Argossy unlocked yet another set of doors.

  Sydney had never been back in this area and she stepped inside curiously. A curse rent the air.

  “You said we’d be alone,” a male voice accused harshly.

  Sydney came to a startled halt. A man twisted away from her, ducking to hide his features. He pulled a ski mask into place before Sydney could register the wrongness of his presence here inside the closed bank.

  A second man, stuffing currency inside a large gym bag, also wore a mask over his face. The vault gaped wide open. Jerome stood beside the heavy steel door, several bundles of money in his hands.

  Fear stole her vocal cords, leaving her motionless with shock.

  “For heaven’s sake,” Mrs. Argossy chided behind Sydney, unaware of the danger. “Keep moving or I’ll drop this cake.”

  The ski-masked stranger swore viciously. “What are you doing in here?”

  Sydney managed the fleeting thought that it was a rather stupid question under the circumstances. Then Jerome started in her direction, his expression almost tortured. For a second, their eyes locked. She felt his anguish as clearly as if he’d cried out.

  The door closed behind Mrs. Argossy. In slow motion, her lips formed a wide “oh” of alarm. “What on earth?”

  Sydney dropped the heavy case of soda and cans spilled across the floor. Two split open, splashing their sticky contents everywhere.

  Mrs. Argossy pushed past her. Feeling helplessly detached, Sydney watched the first man produce a gun in one gloved hand. Smoke and flame spit from the barrel. The bark of noise was deafening. Mrs. Argossy crumpled bonelessly to the floor at Sydney’s feet in a pool of spreading red blood. The balloons she’d been holding drifted toward the ceiling.
r />   “No! Stop!” Jerome yelled. “You said no one would be hurt!”

  Sydney came out of her panicked stupor. She heaved the gallon of ice cream at the weapon now aimed at her. The container struck, deflecting the next shot.

  The room seemed to swell with noise and an acrid odor. There was no place to run. Pain seared Sydney’s hand.

  The gunman took aim again. Jerome stumbled, shoving her backward. Flame spurted from the weapon.

  His body jerked, once—then twice. His mouth opened for another protest that never came.

  She lurched as Jerome’s full weight collapsed against her. His body jerked again as more bullets thudded into his back.

  They fell amid the rain of currency fluttering from his limp hands. Her world dissolved with a blinding crack of pain and a stab of brilliant light.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Sydney woke to the scent of something elusive, something intriguing, something that wafted past the smell of flowers and antiseptic. In an effort to find the source, she forced open her eyes and tried to focus on the face that hovered above her.

  “Sydney? That’s it, open your eyes. Can you hear me?”

  The rumbly voice was comforting. She’d heard that voice in her dreams. A voice that promised safety and security from the nightmares.

  Memory flooded her with violent images.

  Sydney opened her mouth, a scream building from her soul. The man shook his head. His fingers pressed gently against her raw, chapped lips.

  “Don’t,” he ordered. “You’re safe now. You don’t have to scream anymore.”

  The tone, rather than the words, released the scream as a long shuddering sigh. Sydney trembled. Pain raced up her arm. Other pain quickly followed. She tried to lift her hand. It wouldn’t move. Something white covered it completely. Sydney fought against the incipient panic rising in her chest.

  She couldn’t move!

  Large hands rested against her shoulders, gently but effectively holding her in place.

  “Look at me, Sydney.”

  She had no choice but to do as he commanded. Still, she couldn’t stop the quaking that gripped her body.

  He nodded. “That’s better. If you scream, the cop outside your door will throw me out of here.”

  What was he talking about? The hands moved away from her shoulders. Ironically, she wanted that reassuring contact back.

  “Don’t fade out on me, Sydney. Take a couple of deep breaths.”

  She licked at her chapped lips as she stared into his ruggedly handsome face. He wore a military dress uniform, she realized. Puzzling out why this should be significant was too hard for her muzzy brain to contemplate. It was enough that he was here. She relaxed, staring up at him, drawn to him in some indefinable way.

  “Are you thirsty?” he asked.

  Sydney nodded, bewildered, and suddenly, terribly tired. The last thing she remembered—

  “No! Don’t try to remember. Look at me, okay?”

  Looking at him was the easiest thing she’d ever been asked to do. Just his presence made her feel safe and protected. He lifted a cup with a straw poking from the top. Carefully, he brought it to her lips in silent offering.

  “Just a small sip,” he cautioned.

  The ice water slid down her grateful throat, soothing the strained, parched dryness. Her whole body felt strained. She hurt. Everywhere.

  “Listen to me.”

  Dark somber eyes bored into her.

  “Visiting hours don’t start for some time yet, so I don’t know how long I’ll have in here before one of the nurses comes to check on you.”

  She blinked, trying to focus on those chiseled features. While he was somehow achingly familiar, she knew she’d never seen him before. How sad to have wasted all this time.

  “You were shot during a bank robbery.”

  The muzzle of the gun. Deafening noise. Blood. So much blood.

  Jerome!

  “Easy. You’re safe now,” his voice continued.

  Blood had pumped from Mrs. Argossy’s fallen form to mingle with the spilled soda on the white tile floor.

  “Listen to me, Sydney. You’re safe.”

  His words banished the horrible images. His hand absently stroked her shoulder, calming the tremors that threatened to shake her apart.

  “You’re in the hospital. You’ve been here three days. Do you understand?”

  She focused on his face, trying to still the living nightmare. His somber expression helped hold the horror at bay. Since it seemed important to him that she agree, she nodded.

  “Who are you?” Her voice croaked, sounding as rusty and sore as it felt.

  His lips thinned. “Noah.”

  The name took processing. “Jerome’s brother?”

  No. Anyone but Jerome’s brother. Fate couldn’t be so unkind. But that would explain the military uniform. Jerome had often talked about his brother, the major.

  “Yes. I’m Jerome’s brother.”

  Deep sadness filled his brooding expression. She wanted to reach out to him, to ease that sorrow. This was Jerome’s brother!

  Jerome.

  She shut her eyes against the pain. In her head, the gunshots echoed, blending with the screams she’d locked inside. She smelled the sharp tang that had hung in the wisps of smoke. She felt Jerome’s full weight crashing down on her as he stumbled forward and collapsed, his body jerking repeatedly, pinning her to the floor.

  She didn’t need the words, but her lips formed them anyhow. She opened her eyes. “He’s dead,” she stated. She knew it to be true.

  “Yes.”

  Noah responded so softly she almost didn’t hear him as the first salty tear trickled down her cheek.

  “Don’t,” he said sharply. “Please. We need to talk before they toss me out of here.”

  She stared at him, frustrated by her inability to wipe the wetness from her cheek. “I wasn’t planning to give in to hysterics.”

  His expression softened. “Good. That would send me screaming. Do you remember everything that happened?”

  If only she could forget.

  She tried to sit up and found she still couldn’t move her hands. For the first time, she noticed the IV bottle on the other side of the bed. She blinked rapidly in frustration and Noah withdrew a crisp white handkerchief. He blotted her cheeks and eyes.

  The elusive scent she’d noticed on awakening came from him, she realized. Probably a cologne, though it was so faint she couldn’t be certain. The distracting smell helped to calm her, for some reason.

  “Mrs. Argossy?”

  “Dead,” he answered quietly.

  Sydney cringed.

  “Take deep breaths,” Noah encouraged.

  A long shudder passed through her. Once again she tried to move. “My hands—”

  “They tied you down so you wouldn’t thrash around anymore. You pulled the IV out twice. They were afraid you’d injure yourself.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You slammed your head against something when you fell, Sydney. You suffered a concussion. When you finally started to come to, you began to thrash around so violently that they had to sedate you.”

  “I don’t remember.” Yet she could almost remember horrible screams that felt lodged deep inside her. She stared up at him, focusing on his face in a bid for control.

  “My head hurts.”

  He nodded. “That’s to be expected.”

  “I wasn’t expecting it.” He smiled and she relaxed. “Jerome didn’t know you were coming, did he?”

  Pain flashed in his dark eyes. “No. I was due for some leave next week, but I hadn’t planned to come here.”

  Sydney didn’t know what to say. She knew the brothers weren’t close. And knowing her husband as well as she did now, she suspected more than age and distance had separated the men.

  “Sydney, I know the timing is off, but we need to talk.”

  “I’m sorry, Noah. I’m afraid I’m muzzy. What—”

 
; “So, you’re awake at last! You aren’t supposed to be in here at this hour, Mr. Inglewood. Official visiting hours don’t start until ten.”

  The anemic-looking nurse bustled inside. She frowned at Noah, and came forward so she could stand officiously over the bed. “How are you feeling?”

  Sydney didn’t know how to answer the question. Mostly, she felt confused. Her gaze sought Noah. She sensed him willing her to remain in control and she swallowed hard.

  “I’d like to move my hands,” she managed.

  “I’ll check with the doctor. Do you know who you are?”

  “Of course I know who I am.”

  The nurse waited.

  “Sydney Edwards.” She saw Noah’s frown. “Inglewood,” she added.

  “Do you know where you are?”

  “The hospital.”

  “Do you know why?”

  Her irritation mounted along with her headache. Sydney glared at the nurse. “I was shot. Now, I’d like to speak to the doctor, please.”

  “He’ll be by to see you shortly.” The nurse planted a thermometer in her mouth.

  Sydney thrust the offending object aside with her tongue. “Now!”

  “Mrs. Inglewood, you really mustn’t get excited.”

  Sydney stopped listening. “Will you get him for me?” she asked Noah, avoiding the thermometer.

  He nodded. “I’ll be back.”

  Sydney waited, but he didn’t return. And by afternoon, she knew everything.

  “I’m afraid we won’t be able to determine if you’ll regain the full use of all the fingers until after the swelling goes down,” the self-important surgeon told her. “The nerve and muscle damage was extensive.”

  Staring at her completely bandaged right hand, Sydney was barely able to control the fearful anxiety the doctor’s words created. Her career as a jeweler might be over. With only one usable hand, could she do the intricate work required? Her heart pounded. Her throat went dry.

  Then he dropped his bombshell.

  “Fortunately, the baby is fine. Your concussion had us worried at first, naturally, but it appears there’s no permanent damage done there either. You may experience some headaches and a little dizziness from the concussion….”