business, but his insatiable curiosity needed appeasing.
She stabbed a piece of Romaine and raised an eyebrow. Checking to be certain Matty still chattered, oblivious to their conversation, she shrugged. "Cleo hadn't paid a bill in months when I arrived. I can almost guarantee insurance isn't an option."
For whatever reason, Axell tried again. "She's just renting that place, isn't she? I'd say most of the damage was to the storefront, not the inventory. You can probably be back in business elsewhere in a few weeks."
She poked the lettuce around some more, then grimaced in a fiasco of a smile. "If I could impose on you for a ride, I think I'd better take Matty back to the school and get him settled in."
Axell tried to take her words at face value. He glanced at her plate and except for the lettuce, she'd eaten everything put before her. She hadn't insulted him by offering payment for the meal, but he had a strong suspicion she couldn't offer him money if she wished.
He didn't want to admit that an educated woman, one whose credentials he'd checked, one who ran a business, taught his daughter, and showed no sign of mental incapacity—could be homeless, hungry, and without visible means of transportation.
Chapter 6
If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.
"Where are we going?" Aroused from the lethargy inspired by glove-soft leather seats, the soft hum of a powerful motor, and the numbness of shock, Maya frowned at the unfamiliar turn off the familiar highway. Tree frogs chirruped in the country quiet.
"Constance's baby-sitter will be waiting."
She didn't know this enigmatic man well enough to interpret his tone, and despite the dim glow of the dash lights, darkness obscured his expression. She ought to be afraid out here with a stranger, with more fields than houses around, but this man was a Virgo to his bones. She suspected he was in full caretaking mode.
She could use a little caretaking right now, she thought from the weary fog she'd retreated into. She would like to gratefully accept Axell Holm's words at face value—if it were not for that dangerous Aquarian nature lurking beneath his surface. "What's your birth date?"
He glanced at her, then returned his attention to the road. "September, but I guarantee you that the planets do not guide my behavior."
She shook her head at his predictable response. "The month only gives your sun sign. I'd need the exact date, year, and place of birth to predict the planets, but I'm not very good at charting. Your Virgo nature is obvious. It's that Aquarian streak worrying me."
"Astrology simply labels basic human behavior in a manner people can easily grasp. If it makes you happy to label my behavior, be my guest, but I'd wager genetics and environment more accurately explain character."
"Since I don't know your environment and can't examine your genes"—she threw his lap a naughty glance he probably didn't catch and couldn't follow since he wasn't wearing jeans—"I'll stick with astrology, thank you." Her mind had taken some warped loops with advanced pregnancy, but wondering what was under the god-like Axell Holm's trousers was loopier than usual.
They pulled into the driveway of a typical suburban Charlotte brick residence, the kind with more gables and outcroppings than she could count. As the car followed the drive around behind the house, Axell flicked a switch on the dash, and a garage door silently opened. As far as Maya was concerned, garages were a waste of money in this mild climate, but she supposed the rich had money to waste.
She didn't know why it bothered her that Axell was rich. She appreciated his thoughtfulness, but men of his caliber made her extremely nervous, perhaps because she so desperately craved what he had to offer.
Damn, the shock must be wearing off and her brain must be bubbling with panic if she thought Axell Holm was what she needed.
She couldn't keep on like this. She'd been homeless before, but this time she had a baby on the way and Matty to worry about. How would she keep Matty? As soon as the social worker discovered their plight, she'd shove him into a foster home. Maya shivered as the fear rose in her, fanned by the winds of memory. She had to leave Wadeville, go back to California where she had friends...
How the devil would she get back to California? She'd sold everything she owned, including her car, so she could afford the outrageous cost of a last