"I'm here to pick up my daughter."
Bianca strode into the foyer of the Landis mansion, flicking her wavy red hair over her shoulder with a gesture Phoebe recognized as calculated to catch male eyes. It usually worked.
At least today, Kyle seemed oblivious to Bianca's dubious charms, currently encased in skinny jeans and a lime-green tank top. His barely banked anger steamed behind his eyes. Nina didn't seem to notice the tension, however, as she patted him on the face with her panda-bear teether clutched in her chubby fist.
Even as tense as things were between her and Kyle, Phoebe was relieved to have his support in this standoff with Bianca. He'd called the rest of his family this morning and they would all return within hours.
Kyle palmed Phoebe's back. "Let's all step into the living room and talk. There's a lot to go over from the past few months."
Bianca eyed the wide-open entryway, her deeply tanned fingers gliding over a blue-and-white Fabergé egg by a crystal vase of lilacs. She strolled deeper into the living room. A wall of windows let sunshine stream through and bathe the room in light all the way up to the cathedral ceilings. Hardwood floors were scattered with light Persian rugs around two Queen Anne sofas upholstered in a pale blue fabric with white piping. Wingback chairs in a creamy yellow angled off the side. The whole decor was undoubtedly formal, but in an airy, comfortable way.
Phoebe feared Bianca was seeing dollar signs. But if she'd only wanted money, wouldn't she have come to Kyle right away?
Bianca spun on her spiky green high heel and extended her arms. "My baby." She gripped Nina so firmly Phoebe had no choice but to let go. "Aren't you beautiful, and so big?"
"Yeah," Kyle muttered, "they grow. As a matter of fact, they grow a lot if you don't see them for nearly three months."
Phoebe rested a hand on his arm, wary of angering Bianca, especially when they didn't have a clue what she had in mind. "Where have you been? Do you realize how worried we've been?"
"Were you worried about me, or did you just care because of Nina?" Lifting an eyebrow, she hitched the baby on her hip awkwardly. Nina squirmed and threw her panda-bear plastic teether on the floor. "It doesn't matter now. I'm back and ready to see my girl."
Kyle stood, feet braced, in the archway between the living room and foyer as if blocking any chance of escape. "You fell off the face of the earth so completely we thought you might be dead. You still haven't told us where you were."
"Sorry about that. I went to the islands with this important director. He said he had a part for me." Bianca pried Nina's fingers off her giant gold-hoop earrings. "He lied, the scum, but I got a vacation out of it. Mothers need vacations. I'm all rested now and ready to snuggle with my little girl."
Phoebe resisted the urge to grab Nina and run. "You can't just abandon Nina for months and think I'll trust you to take care of her."
Bianca looked back and forth between Kyle and Phoebe standing close together. "Ah, I see how it is." She jostled Nina uncomfortably as the baby tried to climb down. "You've got Kyle now and if you lose the kid, you lose him. He's quite a catch. I can see how you wouldn't want to give all that up."
Phoebe bit back the impulse to snap at Bianca. Kyle was more than some "catch." He was about so much more than his bank balance. He was an honorable man who cared about his family, took his responsibilities seriously and even appreciated the simple beauty of beachside rides in an open-air car.
Kyle scooped up Nina's plastic teething toy from the floor and lifted Nina from Bianca's awkward hold. "Phoebe and I are married."
Bianca blinked fast, speechless for once.
His daughter secured against his chest, Kyle waved the tiny panda bear in front of Nina's face, soothing her into precious baby giggles. "She came to tell me about Nina, and we found we had a connection."
"You expect me to believe you two fell in love? You're kidding, right? Phoebe's totally locked in the past with Roger." Her painted lips curved with a hint of condescension as she turned to Phoebe. "And let's be honest, girlfriend, you're not exactly Kyle's type."
Phoebe rocked back a step at the blatant cruelty of her so-called friend's words. She'd maintained the friendship with Bianca because she was outgoing and vivacious, a force that had pulled Phoebe out into the world when she'd felt isolated by grief. And yes, maybe she'd had blinders on where Bianca was concerned because she'd been part of happier times in Phoebe's life. But the blinders were off now.
Bianca winked. "Maybe you can get something in the divorce settlement. You married him to help his daughter, after all. What?" She blinked with overplayed innocence. "That's why you married him, isn't it? It's not like the two of you knew each other."
A brief flash of anger iced Kyle's eyes before he smoothed his features into a neutral mask. Phoebe admired his calm, his skill in putting feelings in the background to remain focused on solving the problem. She could see well what had made him such an effective warrior.
Kyle's gaze pinpointed on Bianca. "What do you really want?"
"My baby."
Cold fear sprinkled goose bumps over Phoebe's arms. "The courts have given Kyle temporary custody. You left her. We'll need to go back to court to settle that."
"That's really upsetting." Her look went calculating. "You actually care about her already? She is a pretty kid."
Her worst nightmare was unfolding. Again, she was losing someone she loved, and while she tried to console herself that at least Nina was alive, Phoebe still couldn't erase an image of the baby crying out for her at night and wondering … The pain went deeper than tears.
Bianca, however, blinked big, fat tears down her face. "I'm so sorry. I've been so stupid, but I really thought I could make a better life for Nina. I'm not good enough for her, not like you and your family."
Was Bianca acting or had Phoebe grown more cynical?
If only she didn't know what a damn fine actress Bianca could be. Had she been using those acting skills on Phoebe all this time, too? Had the entire friendship been a lie? Perhaps Kyle was right that she'd clung to Bianca out of a need to hang on to the past with Roger. She'd allowed herself to be blinded.
Phoebe gathered her shaky poise. "Where are your bags? I'll show you to your room."
Bianca shook her finger. "No, no, no. I'm not staying here under your judgmental eyes, with you recording every misstep I make. I'm staying in a hotel and Kyle's paying." She passed Kyle a card. "Here's the number so you can call with the specifics."
She hitched her bag higher on her shoulder and twitched toward the door. The closing door echoed in the silence.
Swaying, Phoebe could have sworn all her bravado melted from her. She grabbed the wingback chair behind her and sat heavily.
Kyle paced around the living room with Nina, still waving her panda toy in front of her face. "Phoebe, I don't want you to worry. We'll play this out in the legal system. The judge isn't going to reverse the custody arrangement on a whim, and I doubt Bianca has the staying power to hold out long-term."
Phoebe wasn't so sure. The cynic inside shouted Bianca was ready to dig her spiked heels in deep. But she let Kyle continue to spell out his plans, realizing that taking charge seemed to keep him calm.
She watched him stride back and forth across the room, Nina cradled confidently against his chest. When had he grown so comfortable with her? There was no mistaking the connection as Nina stared up at him with adoring blue Landis eyes. He waved her favorite panda-toy teether in front of her face, joggling the beads in the panda's clear belly around in a gumball-like display. Nina loved that toy.
And Phoebe couldn't deny the truth any longer. She'd fallen in love with Kyle.
Ten
He'd never felt so out of control.An hour after completing their meeting with the judge, Kyle clenched the steering wheel, driving the Mercedes along the dark shoreline with Phoebe beside him. The car seat in the back was empty.