Page 22 of Laying His Claim
“Oh, I just wanted to tell you that my physio said she doesn’t need to see me again for another month.” She felt her face flush with pride. “I’m on my own now!”
Justin came out from behind the desk and stood in front of her. She could smell the subtle, masculine scent of his cologne, expensive and refined. It messed with her senses big time.
“That’s great, Jalissa. I knew you could do it.”
She nodded, pleased by his encouragement. “Now, if only my memory would begin to recover.” It was so frustrating; she’d worked hard every day and managed to master her body, but still her mind was stubborn and insisted on lagging behind. Why? Wouldn’t life be so much easier if she knew exactly who she was and was able to live within the context of both her pastandher present?
He placed a comforting hand on her arm. “It’s okay. I know it’s hard. But give it time—”
“Justin!”
The voice in the doorway made them both spin around in surprise. Lorena was standing there, holding Seb in her arms, and her face was hot and red and angry. Her look grew even darker when she spotted Justin’s hand on Jalissa’s arm. The woman shot Jalissa such a scathing look that she instinctively took a step back. The glare was as violent as a punch.
“Yes?” Justin asked, his curiosity aroused. “Is everything okay with Seb?”
“No, it is not. Or, at least, it would not have been if I hadn’t been there to intervene!”
A look of worry crossed his face. “What happened? Is he ill?” Quickly, he closed the space between himself and the nanny and took Seb into his arms, resting his hands against the baby’s forehead and peering into his eyes.
“No, but he could have been hurt. He could have been worse, if I hadn’t—”
“What is it, Lorena,” Justin said impatiently. “I don’t have time for games where my son is concerned. If something is wrong, spit it out.”
Lorena flinched a little under the brunt of Justin’s impatience, but then looked even more determined to tell her story. In fact, she began to preface it with great drama, enjoying the attention. “Well, as you know, he is crawling around a lot now. He will be on his feet and walking very soon. He will be all over the house.” She threw Jalissa an evil look, one that she couldn’t comprehend. “This is why we have the child-proof gates everywhere. This is why we keep the doorsclosed.”
“I know that,” Justin answered impatiently.
In the past few weeks, Justin had become obsessed with safety, installing child-proof swing gates at strategic places, and tamper-proof devices on all cupboard and closet doors. He’d covered the electrical outlets months ago, even before Sebastian was navigating the floor on his own. He was a good dad, and safety was high on his list of priorities.
“Go on, Lorena,” he said impatiently. “What is it?”
“I was in the kitchen, preparing Sebastian’s lunch. I wasn’t worried about him, because he was playing with his iguana just nearby. Then I looked around, and he was gone!” she paused dramatically, looking from Jalissa to Justin.
Jalissa felt an icy hand grasp the back of her neck. Had something really happened to her son? “And?” she demanded. “Where was he?”
Lorena acted as if she hadn’t even spoken. As if she wasn’t even in the room. “And do you know where he was?”
Justin’s face and body radiated tension and anxiety. “Tell me now, Lorena. Goddammit, do you think I have time to wait?”
She waved her arm expansively in the direction of the garden. “Out there! Out there! In the driveway! Crawling toward the gate!”
Jalissa gasped in horror. That couldn’t be possible. How could he have gotten out?
“What?” Justin roared. “My child was in the driveway? How could you have let this happen?”
“It wasn’t my fault. He was with me, and safe. Everything was closed, as it should be, until the physiotherapist left.”
Both Justin and Lorena turned to look at Jalissa. Her mouth fell open in horror. “You think I left the door open?”
Lorena stuck stubbornly by her story. “You let the physiotherapist out. I heard you open the door and tell her goodbye, but I didn’t hear you close it.”
“Of course, I closed it!” Jalissa responded angrily. “You think I’d be so irresponsible that I’d risk harm to my own child?”
When Justin turned to her, his face was stone, his eyes cold. “Are you sure you closed the door, Jalissa?”
“Of course, I did!” she protested. “I’m not an idiot!”
“Maybe it was that blow to your head,” Lorena suggested insidiously. “Maybe it was your… you know, brain damage.”
