Webb laughed, his eyes drifting back to Emily’s face…and the rest of her. “I’ll bet he keeps you busy.”
“Oh, he does. But I’m not complaining. He’s a sweetheart.”
“Does, uh, does he see his father very often?” Webb asked hesitantly, his gaze turning back to the child.
Emily’s smile faded. “No. My ex-husband wasn’t fond of children. Ryan was an accident. After the divorce Earl decided to write both of us off as mistakes. I haven’t seen him or heard from him in a year.”
Webb frowned. “What a jerk. How could any man walk away from his own son? Or from you?” he added slowly, looking once more at the beautiful young woman in front of him.
As Emily flushed in pleasure and retrieved her son, Autumn resisted the impulse to laugh out loud. Oh, Webb, my friend, you’re in big trouble, she thought gleefully. That’ll teach you to make fun of me for being rattled by Jeff Bradford. And then her amusement faded as she wondered if she wore the same expression around Jeff that Webb was currently wearing as he looked at Emily.
Bewitched, she thought again. Maybe we’re both bewitched. A shiver of something very near fear coursed down her spine, and she was suddenly sorry that she’d found such amusement in almost throwing Emily at Webb. Was she to be paid back in kind?
When the doorbell rang again she jumped, earning herself a delighted grin from Webb, who was obviously not quite as distracted as Autumn had hoped.
Glaring at him, Autumn took a deep breath and opened the door, then promptly lost the breath in a soft whoosh as she took in the man smiling at her from the doorstep. He was dressed in a pale yellow crewneck sweater and light gray slacks, looking as devastatingly attractive as he had in his expensive suit the week before. Surely it wasn’t possible that he grew more good-looking each time she saw him, she thought despairingly. His hair couldn’t really have grown darker and thicker, his eyes bluer and warmer, his shoulders broader and more muscular. God, he was gorgeous!
“Hi, Jeff.” Oh, hell. She’d sounded breathless again. Probably because she was.
“Hi, Autumn.” His own voice was low, caressing, sending hot tremors through every inch of her body.
Clinging to the door, Autumn invited him in, waiting until he’d passed her to shut the door and lean weakly against it. “Jeff, you know Webb. And this is my neighbor, Emily Hinson, and her son, Ryan. Emily, this is Dr. Jeff Bradford.”
Nodding a greeting at Webb, Jeff smiled at Emily. “Hi. Nice to meet you.”
“You’re a doctor?” Emily shot a reproving look at her friend. “Autumn didn’t mention that.”
“Jeff’s a pediatrician,” Autumn explained.
Emily looked interested. “You are? Where’s your office? Ryan and I just moved here from St. Pete three months ago, and I haven’t found a pediatrician for him in Tampa yet.”
Jeff named his clinic and gave the address, adding that he had two partners. “Julian’s a very good doctor, and Pam’s a skilled surgeon,” he explained. “We’d be happy to take care of this guy. Not that he doesn’t look perfectly healthy.” He grinned at Ryan, reaching out to ruffle the toddler’s sandy hair. “Hello, Ryan. Aren’t you a fine-looking fellow?”
Well, he just won Emily over, Autumn thought ruefully. She tried not to acknowledge that she was pleased that Jeff showed no signs of interest in Ryan’s mother, other than polite friendliness. She would not admit that she’d been a
t all worried that Jeff might have exhibited the same weakness for Emily’s delicate blond beauty that Webb had displayed.
Webb offered a hand to Jeff. “How’s it going, Jeff? Haven’t seen you in ages.”
“It’s good to see you again, Webb. Now that the clinic’s open late on the same evenings the Jaycees meet, I don’t have much chance to be active in the chapter.”
“We appreciated your contribution last month to the project for handicapped kids. You were very generous.” Webb waited until Jeff had modestly shrugged off the praise before shooting a mischievous look at Autumn. “So you’re interested in Autumn, are you? Good luck, my friend. You’ve got nerve, I’ll say that for you.”
“Webb…” Autumn murmured threateningly as Jeff grinned at the other man.
“Can’t say I blame you for trying, of course,” Webb continued bravely. “But be warned, Bradford. She has the devil’s own temper.”
Autumn was showing signs of that temper as Emily stepped in quickly to defuse the situation. “I guess we’d better be going. It was nice to meet you, Dr. Bradford. See you tomorrow, Autumn.” She turned a shamelessly limpid look at Webb. “Bye, Webb. Maybe I’ll see you again sometime.”
Immediately forgetting Autumn and Jeff, Webb seemed to struggle inwardly for about half a minute before blurting out, “Why don’t we take Ryan out for ice cream, Emily? He can eat ice cream, can’t he?”
“He loves ice cream,” Emily replied happily. “Are you sure you didn’t have any other plans for the evening?”
Perjuring himself without hesitation, Webb denied any plans for that evening. Autumn swallowed a chuckle as her friend deliberately chose an ice-cream parlor over Tampa’s hottest night spot. She managed not to laugh until Webb had departed with Emily and Ryan, though she had no intention of keeping quiet about his choice next time she saw him.
“What’s so funny?” Jeff asked quizzically, looking up from where he’d knelt to pat Babs.
Autumn decided not to enlighten him. Instead, she introduced him to Babs and went to get her purse so they could leave, suddenly conscious that the two of them were alone. The nervousness that had faded in her amusement at Webb’s reluctant interest in Emily returned full force.