Hard to Hold (11 page)

“I've got it,” Patty said, retrieving the plastic thing from the baby's blanket and handing it back to Isabella. “So what's going on between you and Logan?”

“I don't know what you're talking about,” Isabella said defensively, settling Cinnamon into the stroller as she sucked contentedly on her pinky.

“You know what I mean. It's written all over you.”

Patty joined her as Isabella got up abruptly and began to push the stroller. “Are you two…dating or something?”

“No!” Isabella looked at her, startled, then managed to lower her voice. “No, it's not what you think.” She struggled to explain, waiting until they passed an elderly couple who waved at Cinnamon, and then a woman jogging.

“Okay, so I like him,” Isabella continued in resignation when they were alone once more, aware she couldn't feign indifference where Logan was concerned. “A lot. I didn't think I would in the beginning because of his reluctance to get involved with the baby. But he has done a one-eighty where that is concerned.”

“So you like the fact that he's a hands-on dad,” Patty said, her brows knotting as she turned the idea over in her mind.

“More than that. Logan is a great guy. He's taking care of the child and isn't even sure she's his yet.” Briefly she filled her in on everything that had transpired, and Desiree's disappearance. When she finished, Patty looked incredulous.

“Wow. I don't know too many men who would react that way to this situation. I give him a lot of credit.”

“Me too,” Isabella agreed. She had no intention of sharing Logan's story. It was enough that he made this choice all on his own.

“So is it just about the baby?” When she gave her a blank stare, Patty smirked knowingly. “Come on, who are you kidding? The guy is gorgeous. And hot. And you like him.”

Isabella felt the flush coming back to her cheeks. “Just because he's attractive doesn't mean…”

“Of course it does,” Patty said, smirking. “Okay, I won't push you even though I'm dying to know the details.”

“Thanks. I was worried you'd…disapprove.”

“As the owner of the agency, I'm supposed to.” Patty shrugged. “Normally it's a bad idea to get involved with the guy you work for. I just had to move a nanny to a different job because it didn't work out. She found out the guy was seeing other women.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. And it can be painful when there are children involved, and they get attached. And it's not always the man at fault. I had to let another woman go because she was the one propositioning the clients.”

“Seriously?”

Patty nodded. “Admittedly, she had some issues, but it just created too many problems. But in this case Logan is single, and he seems to be making you happy and doing the right thing by the child. So far be it for me to become the moral arbitrator here.”

They paused as Isabella turned the stroller, prepared to head back. “Thanks.”

“Don't mention it. Seriously, don't.” Patty grinned as Isabella started to explain. “The only caution I will give you is the one I'm sure you've thought of yourself. What if the mother comes back for the baby? Or it turns out she isn't his and he gives her up?”

“You mean, what happens to our relationship then?”

Patty nodded, and Isabella shrugged. “I don't know. Things aren't at that level; and it is way too soon for any talks like that. This just sort of happened between us and could play out a lot of ways.”

“I know. I just don't want to see you get hurt.”

“Don't worry,” Isabella tried to reassure her. “I won't be.”

They returned to the condo and Patty embraced her, holding her close. “Listen, you don't just work for me; you're a friend. Right now Logan needs you. But he is a professional athlete, on the road all the time, and that can be a tough situation.”

“I know.”

“Do you?” Patty searched her face. “From where I stand, Logan sounds like he might be easy to catch but hard to hold.”

Isabella sucked in a breath. Hearing her own fears put into words was tough. “I'll be careful.”

“Guard your heart until you know for sure where you stand,” Patty advised. “And if things don't work out, just let me know and I'll find you something else. Okay?”

“Okay.” She exhaled and managed a smile. “That's a deal.”

Logan arrived at Trenton Park for practice a little early, planning to get in some extra drill time. Keith Saunders, their strength and conditioning coach, had developed a new program for the team, and he wanted to make sure he had enough time to incorporate that into his workout.

When he saw the reporters hanging around the locker room, he wasn't surprised. There was a fan event scheduled for that afternoon, where kids could meet Sebastien La Croix, one of their star players, and win an autographed jersey.

He thought these activities were a pain in the ass, but he understood they were a necessary evil. Publicity generated interest in the club and introduced youngsters to a sport that was incredibly popular worldwide, even if it lagged behind the NFL in the U.S.

But they were getting there. In spite of the FIFA scandals, soccer was played much more frequently in the K–12 schools these days. And it didn't hurt that the women's teams were kicking ass. Carli Lloyd had become a local hero after her performance in the Women's World Cup, and that event was watched by more Americans than the NBA finals.

Yet as he approached, Logan was blinded by the flash of cameras, and reporters surged toward him.

“Logan Hart, is it true you had a baby left on your doorstep?”

“Is the child a girl? How old?”

“What happened to the mother?”

“Have you filed adoption papers?”

“What the fuck!” Logan turned to one of the reporters he knew well, Amanda Gardner, and pulled her aside. “What's going on?” he demanded.

“You tell me.” She shrugged and whipped out her cellphone and hit Google. When she clicked on Facebook, he was horrified to see Isabella's picture, along with the baby, smiling as she watched the game.

“You didn't know? The TV footage caught the attention of a lot of people,” she explained. “It doesn't take much these days to figure out someone's identity, especially someone who looks like Isabella Bennett.”

She didn't bother to hide the smirk that followed as she displayed several photos of Isabella and the baby. “Imagine when people realize this stunning girl is your supposed nanny, taking care of your love child.”

Logan's jaw worked as he tried to control his temper. “She is not my love child, and Isabella is not my—”

“What?” Amanda grinned, snapping off her cell. “If you're trying to tell me miss tall, blond, and gorgeous isn't your bed partner as well as your employee, sell it to someone who's buying. I'm not.”

“Bella is not the mother,” he gritted, furious. At her incredulous look, he shrugged. “It's a long story.”

“I'm listening.” Amanda gave him a sympathetic smile. “In fact, I might be your best bet. This has gone viral. If you want to let me interview you, I promise I'll make sure the right outlets get your side of it.”

Logan sucked in a breath. “Isabella is my nanny. I hired her to take care of the baby. She is not the child's mother. That's all I can say at this time. Anything else would compromise the other people involved. Take it or leave it.”

“You do realize we can find out on our own—”

“Yeah?” For the first time, Logan broke into a confident smile. “You do that. You'd be doing all of us a fucking favor.”

He turned on his heel and stalked off, leaving the reporter staring after him, slack-jawed.

Isabella took the laundry out of the dryer and began folding baby clothes. Patty had gone to her next interview, so she was alone with Cinnamon and had time to reflect on her employer's words.

Logan was
hard to hold
.

She knew what Patty meant, even though she hated to admit it. Logan was the kind of guy who could have any woman he wanted. He was blond, with rugged good looks and a sexy smile that curled her toes and made her hot in places one didn't discuss in public. He was funny and kind, generous, and a stand-up guy.

And he was a soccer player.

Isabella had never been much of a sports fan, but even she didn't fail to notice how gorgeous the players were when she went to Logan's game. They were exotic, coming from places like Cameroon, Brazil, Argentina, Jamaica, and Italy.

The sport itself kept them fit. She'd seen how hard Logan worked, and the game involved constant motion, running, kicking, looking for every opportunity to drive the ball into the net, which at times seemed next to impossible.

Yet even with that kind of competition, Logan stood out. Those blue eyes and that slow, deadly smile made him a star in his own right. The TV camera followed him everywhere, his female fans adored him, and she had seen a letter on his desk from Nike, asking if he was interested in becoming a model.

So Patty was right to caution her. Because of Cinnamon, Logan needed her now. If that changed, would he still be attracted to her? He would be free to date anyone…

A knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts, and for once, she was entirely grateful. Thinking about Logan knotted her up in more ways than one. But when she looked through the peephole, she saw two women waiting outside. Puzzled, Isabella opened the door and was nearly bowled over by a vivacious redhead.

“Hey! I'm Jessica, Logan's sister. And this is our mom, Diana Hart.”

Isabella could see the resemblance. Jessica was attractive, but not in a model-like, artificial way. Her curly red hair was the color of copper, and even though it was pulled back, a few curls escaped, softening the angles of her face. There was a breeziness about her, and she had the body of a racehorse, obviously a woman who worked out regularly.

Her gaze switched to the woman beside her. Diana looked a lot like Logan, with high cheekbones, firm chin, and light hair. She gave Isabella an apologetic smile. “I'm really sorry to barge in on you without an invitation, but when my husband told me about the baby…”

Just then they heard a cry. Diana's head cocked to one side, and she gazed at Isabella. “Is that her?” Her face softened.

“Um, yes, that is Cinnamon,” Isabella said in bewilderment, letting them in and gesturing toward the nursery. “It's time for her bottle. But go ahead in and say hello.”

“You must be totally confused,” Jessica said, following her into the kitchen as she retrieved a bottle from the refrigerator.

“Is Logan expecting you?” Isabella put the bottle into the warmer. “He should be back around dinnertime.”

“Well, my mom will be happy to see him, but she really wanted to see the baby. As soon as she heard that she might have a grandchild, wild horses couldn't hold her back.”

“Ah.” Isabella nodded. “That makes sense. But you met the baby before this, right? I think I remember Logan saying that you had helped him get things set up.”

“Yeah. I have to admit, I thought it was great the way you read him the riot act when you first started. He's been spoiled by females all his life. About time someone called him out.”

Isabella laughed. She immediately liked Logan's sister, and hoped they could become friends. “I was surprised he kept me after that. But in all fairness, the way this happened had to be a big shock. He had no idea that Cinnamon even existed until Desiree showed up.”

“He told me. I knew how my mom would react if she knew, and Logan was trying to work this out on his own. But I guess he needed some advice from our dad, so of course our mom knows now.”

The buzzer went off and Isabella took the bottle from the warmer. “Do you think it's a good idea for your mom to get too attached? None of us know how this is going to end up.”

But she couldn't blame Logan's mother. Even though there was no biological relationship between her and the baby, her own mother was always gaga over the children she took care of. She could imagine how she'd react if she thought she had a granddaughter.

“I think it's too late for that,” Jessica admitted. “I'd like to see her, too, if it's okay.”

“Of course!” Isabella gestured toward the nursery. “Follow me.”

“The room is beautiful! And look at her!” Jessica grinned, kneeling down beside her mother, who was holding the baby and staring down at her in adoration.

“Yes, she is a cutie.” She couldn't help but look from Jessica's coppery hair to the baby's slightly lighter shade of red. It was an unusual color, and observing Logan's sister was like seeing Cinnamon all grown up.

“But I have to give Logan some credit for the nursery. He paid for all of this.” She gestured to the crib, the dressing table, and the bureau. “I thought it was very generous of him, given the circumstances.”

“Well, what was he going to do? Let her sleep in a bassinet forever?” Jessica said, and then she looked at Isabella with a smirk. “But yes, Logan was always kindhearted. Although he hides it really well.”

“How old is she?” Diana asked, gazing down at the baby, who smiled back at her.

“About four months,” Isabella responded, and then stepped forward with the bottle. “Do you want to feed her?”

“I'd love that,” Logan's mother said, taking the bottle and offering it to the baby. “Aren't you just the cutest little thing!”

Jessica did an eye roll while Isabella smiled sympathetically. But she got it. Her own mother would never have a biological grandchild…

Fighting the sinking feeling in her stomach, she busied herself with putting away the rest of the baby's clothes. Jessica had reached out and was holding her hand as Cinnamon drank her bottle, gazing at both women in rapture.