Lamier,” Ginny called from the back of the shop. “I’ve returned.”
The sound of her voice sent my blood pumping. I stiffened; my gaze pinned to the curtain. Damnation, I was like a dog after butcher scraps. I wanted to touch her so badly it hurt. Wanted to explain, wanted to make sure she understood that they belonged to me. Me.
“Well then,” Miss Lamier headed toward the front door. “No reason for me to stay. Do tell Ginny that Mother and I have gone home, and she should close the shop for the evening.”
I surged to my feet. “No, wait.”
Ignoring me, she grabbed her cloak from a hook, pulled open the front door and stepped outside, allowing a crisp fall breeze to sweep into the room. The door closed.
She’d truly left me alone with the babe and a certain meeting with Ginny. Before I could prepare, Ginny swept through the curtains, bringing with her the scent of crisp apples and vanilla.
“They didn’t have…”
Spotting me, her smile fell. I could feel the tension enter the room the moment she recognized me. When she noticed the baby in my arms, her annoyance switched to fear. She knew I could take the child if I so wished. Any court would allow me. I took no amusement in the obvious terror upon her face. If anything, it made me feel guilty as hell. I’d given her no reason to trust me.
Damnation, I didn’t deserve her. But I wanted her. I’d staked my claim, and I wasn’t going to give her up ever again.
In a flurry of skirts, she rushed forward and took the child, waking her. Startled, the baby instantly whimpered. “Shhh,” Ginny whispered. “All is well, Izzy.”
Recognizing her mother’s voice, or perhaps her scent, the child quieted. I didn’t blame the babe for finding comfort in the woman’s arms. Ginny was close, so damn close, her warmth pulsed from her body, drawing me toward her. Making me desperate to touch her. By God, would I ever be able to break the hold she seemed to have on me?
Our gazes clashed. For a moment, one blessed moment, I swore I saw attraction flare to life in her blue eyes. As if startled by her own response, she stumbled back. Hell. She still wanted me. I suddenly found it hard to breathe.
Her hold tightened on the baby. “Leave. Now.”
Izzy whimpered. I reached out. “Ginny, stop. You’re frightening the child.”
Her eyes narrowed. If she could have killed me on the spot and gotten away with it, she would have. “Don’t you dare claim to know my baby.”
“Our baby,” I snapped, resisting the urge to reach out to her. “Ours.”
“My baby.” She bounced the baby as the child began to whimper. “Spending one hour a year ago, taking advantage of my innocence, does not make you a father.”
Guilt shot through me. I didn’t respond. Mayhap because I didn’t want to argue. But most likely because I knew she was right. I’d never claimed to be a good person. In fact, I knew the devil would gladly take me. But if there was one thing I could do before I died, it would be to see Ginny and the baby well off.
I could help now. I could make sure they had shelter, food, clothing. The baby whimpered, squirming in her embrace.
“Leave, and take the men who have been following me with you. I need to feed her.”
She turned her back to me and disappeared behind the curtains.
I frowned. Men? Apparently, there was more than one, and apparently they’d been here for some time. Leaving her now wasn’t even an option. The primitive urge to protect her overwhelmed me.
Whoever was frightening her, I would find them.
Determined, I followed her through those curtains. The sound of humming called to me like a siren’s song. I moved up the stairs to her garret room. The steps creaked and groaned under my weight, warning her of my arrival.
At the top of the stairs, I paused to take in her living quarters. There was one large room with a sharply angled ceiling. A bed sat at one end, a fireplace at the other. A table, trunk, cradle, and chair were the only other things in the room. Two small windows provided fading light that highlighted the beams above and the scarred floorboards on the ground. It was small, sparse, but functional and clean. Depressing. I wanted my child to have toys and sunshine and gardens, not be hidden away in the attic.