She reached for the lavender hair bow that matched Daryn’s romper. The bow was attached to a soft, stretchy band that circled the baby’s head. Tate figured Daryn’s wispy brown hair was still too fine and thin for a barrette-style bow, but she didn’t seem to mind wearing the headbands. She did look cute as all get-out in them, he had to admit, even though he didn’t usually notice such details with babies.
Looking away from the kid, he studied Kim’s face, noting her frown was relaxing as she arranged her daughter’s hair into soft curls. “I have to admit I’m curious to meet the rest of the family now.”
Kim blinked at Tate in surprise. “Seriously? Why?”
“Just wondering if they’re more like you or your mother. Because, frankly, you and your mom couldn’t be much more different.”
“I’m going to take that as a compliment.”
He chuckled. “I can see why you would, but it was merely an observation.”
“I’ll let you decide for yourself who the rest of the family resembles.” Kim hoisted Daryn onto her hip. “And, by the way, I won’t be in the least disappointed if you decide you need to escape early. Just give me a sign and we’ll be out of there.”
Considering the way things had gone thus far this weekend, he figured Kim would be more likely than he to bolt from the reunion. Frankly, he found her family dynamics very interesting. They explained a lot about her. He supposed the same would be true in reverse if she were to observe his family as an objective insider for a weekend.
He was tempted to advise her not to let her mother push her buttons so easily. Just to laugh it all off, as she seemed to have done in the past. But maybe that was easier done from a distance rather than in person—and frankly, it was none of his business, anyway. Probably if he’d been put through the chaos Betsy had inflicted on Kim, he wouldn’t be able to shrug it off so easily, either.
Daryn gave her toy monkey a vigorous pump, making the bells inside it chime merrily. She made a face of dismay when the toy flew from her hand, landing on the floor with a clanging thump.
“I’ve got it,” Tate said when Kim automatically started to bend to retrieve it. He leaned over to scoop up the toy and offer it to Daryn. “Here’s your Mr. Jingles, kiddo.”
Accepting the toy, she gazed at him with such intensity that he couldn’t help feeling a little self-conscious. He saw a strong look of her mother in her eyes. Both of them had a way of studying him sometimes that made him wonder if his hair was untidy or if there was a smudge on his nose.
Daryn broke into a sudden wide, slightly damp grin that displayed both her tiny white teeth. He smiled automatically in return. The kid had that in common with her mother, too. Tate couldn’t help but respond to their smiles.
Suddenly aware that he was standing very close to Kim, he glanced at her. Their gazes met, and he found himself unable to be the first to look away. Those whiskey eyes were most definitely intoxicating.
He almost winced as that sappy analogy wafted through his thoughts. Wouldn’t Evan mock him if he’d heard it?
Daryn waved her toy again; simultaneous jingling and babbling roused Tate from his momentary daze. He dragged his gaze from Kim’s and glanced at his watch. “Your family is probably waiting for us to rejoin them. It’s almost time to leave for your grandmother’s house.”
Kim’s cheeks looked a bit rosier than usual. Was it a result of the baby’s energetic bouncing in her arms or was she actually blushing a little? Intrigued by the latter possibility, he followed her from the room, noting as he did so that her figure looked very nice in the casual summery outfit that had elicited such disapproval from her mother.
* * *
Kim and Tate took her car to the reunion, Tate behind the wheel again as he followed Bob and Betsy in their car. Kim twisted her fingers in her lap during the twenty-minute ride, so tightly her knuckles whitened and ached. She wasn’t aware of quite how tightly she held them until Tate reached over to briefly pat her clenched fists with his right hand before returning his hand to the steering wheel.
“Relax,” he said, glancing away from the road ahead for a moment to smile at her. “It will be fine.”
Telling herself she was being foolish, she made a deliberate effort to loosen her muscles. Feeling the cold gold band on her left ring finger did not help her to relax about the upcoming ordeal. “You know, there was a time when I would have had a ball with this.”
She was hardly aware she’d mused aloud until Tate asked encouragingly, “With what?”
“This whole charade.” She held up her left hand to display the ring. “I’d have seen it as a big joke, a dare I had to win with panache. I was always in on the big practical jokes in high school and college, even while I trained for my career. One of the things that drew me to Chris was that he was always up for a challenge, never really serious about anything. Back then, if anyone had bet me I couldn’t pull the wool over my obnoxious family’s eyes, I’d have thrown myself into the part with such enthusiasm, I’d have practically convinced myself I was happily married. We’re talking Betsy Shaw levels of deception.”
Though he kept his attention outwardly centered on his driving, Tate was obviously listening closely. “What happened?”
She glanced over her shoulder. “Daryn happened.”
“Ah.”
“She might have been the result of my previously reckless behavior, but once I realized she was on her way, I vowed that she wouldn’t have to pay for it. I wasn’t going to raise her in the confusion and uncertainty my unreliable mother inflicted on us, letting her get attached to people who wouldn’t stay in her life, never knowing where we’d be living next.”
Turning to face the front of the car again, she added, “I guess that’s one reason I’ve been so grouchy this weekend. I let myself be swept up in a prank again at the urging of my friends and I’ve regretted it ever since. Daryn doesn’t need to get attached to Bob or my brothers or my grandmother or even my mother, considering I can’t say for certain when or if I’ll see any of them again.”
She could have put Tate into that category, as well, but it wasn’t as much of an issue with him, since he was carefully keeping his distance from Daryn. Kim was the only one in danger of becoming too attached to Tate; but at least she was old enough to keep reminding herself how futile that would be.
Mimicking Bob ahead, Tate activated the left turn signal and braked for a red light. “I haven’t noticed you being particularly grouchy. I’ve got to agree that your mom would try anyone’s patience. As far as Daryn, she’s too young to remember any of this, anyway. But is it really such a bad thing for her to meet new people, even if it’s only fleetingly? For that matter, you never really know when you’ll see anyone again. You just have to enjoy the time you spend with them when you can.”