"Strength, individuality, convictiontraditional values in a man, but macho when they stand alone. Mixed in with a little sensitivity"she sucked in her breath"potent."

"You've never found a man like that?"

"No."

"Is that why you've never married?"

"I never married," she said, attacking the drawer with slips and stockings, "because marriage as an institution never held much of a lure. I didn't need it.

"Didn't nfed the commitment?"

"Didn't need the burden."

"What burden?"

"The burden. Obligations. Expectations that can't be met."

"You mean, you don't want to be tied down to one man?"

She made a face to show the absurdity of that.

"Then what expectations can't you meet?" he asked.

ill work, for one thing, and not nine to five.

I'm on call many evenings and weekends, and I like my work. If someone were waiting for me at home, he'd be in for a long wait."

"Maybe he'd have things to do himself. Maybe he wouldn't mind."

"Maybe not, but it's a moot point, seeing as I haven't fallen madly in love with anyone from "What about me?"

"A, I'm not madly in love with you, and B, you'll be gone in a year.

You don't count," she finished with what she thought was a confident flourish then caught a movement at the door. She looked that way to find Sara by the jamb and quickly crossed the room. "Hey, Sara. How's it going out "The baby's crying. Can I get her? I have a little brother at home. I know what to do."

Paige took a quick breath. "Sure." She watched Sara leave, then turned back to Noah, who was picking up a scattering of clothes from the closet floor. I didn't realize there was a child from the second marriage." That complicated things even more.

"Are you washing these?" Noah asked darkly.

She shook her head. "Dry-cleaning. Put them on "But you have to sleep there."

"Then the love seat."

"I'll put them in the car," he said, and went to do it.

Facing two filled laundry baskets, Paige piled one on top of the other and carried them to the laundry room. She started the first load of wash, then went up the stairs.

Sara was leaning against the bars of Sami's crib, not touching, just looking. Paige crept to her side and whispered, "She fell back to sleep?"

"I guess." She dropped a hand into the crib and touched kitty, who was curled in a ball.

UDi send you after me?"

"No. He's outside putting things in my car."

"You know, don't you."

Paige didn't pretend ignorance. "That he's your father? Uh-huh." She didn't believe in playing games with adolescent girls who were often smarter than she was. In Sara's case, honesty was a must.

"Did he tell you not to trust me?"

"No. Why would he do that?"

"Because he doesn't trust me himself. He knows I lie."

"Well," Paige said, unable to say one way or another what Noah knew, "I've never seen you lie."

"You have." She looked at Paige with quiet defiance. "There's no baby back home. My mom had enough to handle with me. She wasn't about to have a second."

The hurt rang familiar to Paige. "Did she tell you that?"

Sara fingered kitty's paw. "No, but I could tell. Everything was fine as long as I was invisible, but after a while that was harder to be."

"I know."

"No, you don't," Sara scoffed.

ill do. My parents had me when they were nineteen. I was one major chain around their necks. They l wanted to be flying all over the world, not staying home to raise a child."

"But did they?"

"Stay home? For three reluctant years. Then they were gone."

"So who took care of you?"

"My grandmother."

"Was she happy about it?"

"Very. It gave her another shot at parenting.

She felt she could do everything right the second time around."

"Don't say that's what my dad's feeling, because he didn't do anything the first time around."

"Maybe he sees that was a mistake. Maybe he's trying to correct it."

She didn't answer. After a minute of fiddling with kitty's ear, she nudged the animal closer to Sami. "Do you like him?"

"Your dad? Sure. He's a nice guy." "I mean, like him," she drawled.