They stood in silence.

"I'm sure you've got plenty of work waiting at the office," he finally said.

"More than you can imagine."

"I'll let you get to it, then."

She nodded, but didn't make a move to leave.

"I'm sorry I was late. I certainly didn't mean to hold you up."

Chelsie shrugged and fiddled with the b.u.t.tons on her lapel. "I'm here for Alix."

Not you. The unspoken words lingered in the air. He didn't believe her, and the realization startled him. As an attorney, he recognized the many ways open to a client determined not only to withhold information, but to remain detached from the surrounding proceedings.

Chelsie exhibited cla.s.sic symptoms. She couldn't meet his gaze. She fiddled with unimportant tasks and any object in the vicinity of her hands. She reiterated her point ad nauseam. It's a temporary arrangement. I'm here for Alix. We're here for our niece. How many times would she repeat the refrain? As many as it took for her to believe the words herself.

Just a week ago, Griff would have used her own defenses against her, jumping on his belief in her eagerness to end the arrangement and abandon them both before Alix was ready.

Now he saw all too clearly that Chelsie fought her own inner battles that had nothing to do with him. Did that mean he had forgiven her past mistakes? Decided she had nothing in common with Deidre and his mother? On those points, he'd reserve judgment.

She closed the last b.u.t.ton on her suit, hiding all evidence of the beautiful body beneath. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

He nodded.

She walked away, then stopped to glance back at him. "Tomorrow's no good. It's my sleep-over night at the shelter."

He clamped down on his disappointment. "The next day, then."

She nodded and rushed down the hall.

Griff leaned against the wall and groaned. Bad enough the s.e.xual attraction grew with each pa.s.sing day. But did Chelsie Russell have to tug at his already battered heart? He hadn't a clue how to kill his growing feelings. Worse, he wasn't sure he wanted to.

Griff eased himself into the worn booth at the diner. "Sorry I'm late. A client wouldn't take no for an answer."

Ryan shrugged. "Refill. Coffee, black," he reminded the pa.s.sing waitress. "And a BLT."

The woman looked at Griff. He glanced at his watch and shook his head, so she placed her pad in her ap.r.o.n and moved on.

Food would have to wait. "I'm already half an hour late to put Alix into bed and I still have a quick meeting with a client." He and Ryan always met on Wednesday nights, but since Griff had started his own practice, Ryan had grown used to Griff's no-shows. "You look exhausted. An all nighter?"

"I spent last night staked out in front of some dive in the 'Combat Zone'," Ryan said.

"Boston's answer to sleaze. What were you doing in a red-light district?"

"Domestic dispute."

"I thought you didn't take those kind of cases anymore. Breaking up marriages made you sick, or some such nonsense." Griff snorted. "If you ask me, anyone who hires you for a case like that is halfway to a divorce already."

Ryan shook his head. "Still cynical as ever, I see."

"Like I don't have a reason," Griff muttered.

Ryan c.o.c.ked an eyebrow. "Back to the all-women-are-alike mentality?" he asked.

"Aren't they?"

"I don't know. Was your sister-in-law anything like Deidre?"

That gave him pause. In truth, he'd always liked his brother's wife. Never once during the frequent family dinners and nights he'd shown up unannounced had he ever sensed a similarity between his aloof fiancee and the warm, loving woman his brother had married. Nor had he seen a comparison to his mother, who'd earned the name only by giving birth to two children.

"No," he reluctantly admitted. "Shannon was unique."

"She was special, but not unique. Exceptions to every rule," his friend said with a smug grin.

Were there? Griff couldn't help thinking of Chelsie. She was Shannon's sister, and blood counted for something. If the past few weeks were any indication, Chelsie might well be more like her sister than like her wealthy, selfish parents.

Time would tell.

"Maybe you just haven't found the exception of your own," Ryan suggested.

Maybe he had and wasn't ready to accept it. "Don't you ever get tired of spouting advice?" Griff asked. "Maybe if you didn't spend every night on surveillance, you'd have a life of your own and could quit worrying about mine."

Ryan didn't answer, a rarity in and of itself.

"So what were you doing last night, anyway?" Griff asked.

"Family favor."

"Your sister?"

"Yeah. For once, I didn't mind the boredom. I came up empty." He formed a zero with this thumb and forefinger.

"Guess she appreciates you more now than when we used to tag along after her," Griff said. "Even Jared grew up to appreciate his pain-in-the-b.u.t.t older brother."

"Yeah. After he got over the fact that we tailed him home from school to protect him and ended up blowing his first chance at scoring with the woman of his dreams," Ryan said on a laugh.

With his little brother gone, the times when Griff, Ryan, and Jared had stuck together through school, sweat-filled summers on the streets, and a rough neighborhood seemed like a distant memory. But to Griff s surprise, Ryan's recollection made him smile instead of gripping him with grief.

There were moments, Griff was sure, when his little brother had resented Griff and Ryan's constant interference, but all three of them had benefited from the closeness they'd shared.

"So how's the squirt?" Ryan asked, changing the subject.

Griff leaned back against the plastic seat cushion. The diner across from the local courthouse wasn't known for comfort or good food, just quick service. "Actually, Alix is great."

"Sleeping?"

"Not through the night, but for longer hours at a stretch." Coincidence or not, Griff appreciated the pre-bedtime hours Chelsie gave to his niece. She might not have children of her own, but the woman definitely had mother potential. Some man would be lucky to get her.

"What's with the scowl?" Ryan asked.

"Nothing."

"So what do you think made the difference?"

Griff had avoided this subject for the past two weeks. But Ryan had been a true friend when he needed one, so Griff decided to level with him and accept the consequences.

"I've got help."

"Anyone I know?"

"Chelsie Russell."

"Hot d.a.m.n, I knew it." Ryan smacked his hand on the table. "I haven't heard from you in over a week, so I figured something was up." He paused to gulp the remainder of his coffee. "Well, I hope things work out for you."

"That's it?"

Ryan placed a hand over his heart. "You wound me. I'm a sensitive guy. I know when to keep my mouth shut."

"You're a pal." Griff stood. "I've got to get back."

"Listen, if things are serious, I could do a little digging. See what turns up."

"No!"

"Touchy."

"I thought you were sure Chelsie was my answer to life," Griff said, shooting Ryan a questioning look.

"That was before you went and got yourself hooked. Now it's my duty to watch out for you."

Griff rolled his eyes but didn't bother to dispute his friend. Old habits didn't die, even when they were no longer necessary. Not to mention that arguing with Ryan was never a worthwhile pursuit.

"Don't do me any favors," Griff said. "Just leave things alone." Chelsie's business was her own. As long as she looked out for Alix's welfare, Griff had no problems. He'd deal with his personal life himself.

"Anything you say." Ryan finished his coffee and stood. "Call me if you need anything."

"I will." Griff turned to go. "Hey."

"Yeah?"

"Glad to hear about your sister."

Chelsie popped in a video for Alix and settled the little girl on her lap. Alix snuggled against her chest, obviously tired after a long day. Normally, Griff would already be home, and they'd spend this time together. Like a family, her heart said. She squeezed Alix tighter, causing the child to squeal in protest.

"Sorry," Chelsie murmured.

She shook her head to dispel any fantasies that might be brewing. She and Griff had merely agreed from the start that acclimating Alix to a routine would be the first step in helping the child. Nothing family motivated about that. Unfortunately, until Griff's absence this evening, she hadn't realized how much she enjoyed his company.

She rubbed her eyes to alleviate their burning. That she spent more time with Griff and Alix each evening probably contributed to her backlog of work and complete lack of sleep. Still, she hadn't broken her self-imposed promise. She'd kept a careful distance between herself and Griff. Despite the attraction, which had grown from a spark of desire into a tangible ent.i.ty all its own, she'd managed to rein in her own needs whenever he was around.

As she'd feared from the beginning, as far as Alix was concerned, Chelsie had already lost her heart. The best she could do was avoid emotionally dangerous situations. So she hadn't put Alix to bed.

She hoped that wasn't about to change. When Mrs. Baxter received an emergency phone call from her son, Chelsie saw no need to detain her. As soon as Griff returned, he would tuck Alix in and Chelsie would head back to the office.

She glanced at her watch and silently prayed he'd be home in time. She couldn't allow herself to get any more attached to either Griff or Alix. If she did, she'd open herself to hurt far greater than any her husband had inflicted. After that experience, she'd fought to regain both her pride and her inner spirit. She'd won.

She hated to think of the damage loving and losing a man like Griffin Stuart would cause, not to mention losing another child. She shuddered and buried her face in Alix's curls. You're about to find out. She'd begun to enjoy her time with Alix and Griff. Too much, because she knew each day brought her closer to the end.

She gnawed on her lower lip and checked her watch again. "Ten more minutes till bedtime, squirt." Where was backup when she needed it?

Two weeks ago, Griff had shaken Chelsie's hand and this crazy arrangement had begun. Tonight, as he drove home from a long day in court and a last-minute meeting with a client, their arrangement didn't seem so unusual. Even if he hadn't admitted it to Ryan, he liked knowing she'd be waiting when he got home.

The evenings she volunteered at the shelter were the longest he'd known in a while. That included the all-nighters he'd put in with Alix. With Chelsie gone, he'd putter around the house, forcing himself to concentrate on work or searching for something interesting to occupy his time. Not a good sign for a man determined to remain detached, he thought wryly.

A loud crash of thunder followed by a streak of lightning shattered the night. Raindrops pelted his windshield. Though he had to squint, he made out a yellow sign ahead. A detour alerted him to change his usual route home. Heeding the sign, he switched directions, accepting that he'd be home even later than planned.

Why didn't he heed the warning signs that Chelsie gave out? No matter what ch.o.r.es they shared, no matter how much time they spent alone or together with Alix, she kept a careful distance between them, withholding a part of herself. Probably the most important part.

But he'd begun to care for her more than he should. And that made the wall she'd erected especially frustrating. Though Ryan's offer had been tempting, Griff's cynicism didn't ent.i.tle him to delve into a past Chelsie wasn't ready to reveal.

If he allowed himself to get involved, he'd leave himself open to heartache that surpa.s.sed any inflicted by his ex-fiancee. Deidre had wounded his pride. Chelsie had the ability to destroy his soul.

Griff knelt down beside Chelsie. In sleep, she appeared as much the innocent as his niece. Looks could be deceiving, and yet a deep desire brewed inside him. He wanted so badly to believe.

Hadn't Ryan offered him a way towards acceptance? With the cases Ryan took and the bad marriages he'd seen, he had as much reason to be cynical as Griff, yet he held out hope. He not only liked women, he trusted. So hadn't Ryan given Griff an opening? He need only give Chelsie a chance.

He glanced at the woman curled into his oversized chair. Dark shadows circled her eyes, shadows he could only attribute to his own selfish need to have her near. She provided invaluable a.s.sistance, but after the past two weeks, Mrs. Baxter could probably handle things. The thought lay like lead in his stomach, and not just because of Alix.

He could never explain to his niece why her aunt no longer spent each evening with them. Nor did he want to try. The child's face lit up each time the doorbell rang. He'd be a fool to take that sense of security from her now.

He needed to a.s.sure himself Chelsie wouldn't walk out of their lives. When she woke, they had important matters to discuss. He wasn't sure he was ready, but he had no other choice. Not if he didn't want to lose ... what? A possible future? He shrugged. He had no idea.

"Chelsie." He whispered, hoping not to startle her. He'd already seen how she reacted when frightened, and he had no wish to put her through that again.

She didn't stir. Exhaustion had finally caught up with her. He brushed gently beneath her closed lids, tracing the slight shadows with the pad of his thumb. Her eyelids fluttered open and long lashes tickled his skin.

His gaze locked with hers. Seconds pa.s.sed, with no sound but their own breathing. Griff had no desire to break the silken silence that surrounded them or the fragile trust they'd begun to share. The slightest noise would have shattered the peace, so he did the only thing he could.

He levered himself up to face her, his elbows resting on the arms of the chair. Their faces remained only inches apart Her scent drifted around him. Slowly, so she would know exactly what he wanted and have ample time to resist, he lowered his lips to hers.