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  Still watching her, William opened his mouth, took the nipple and began to suck. Twenty minutes and two burps later, William had downed all three ounces.

  “I guess he was hungry,” Thad mused.

  Reluctantly Michelle handed the baby back to him. She knew she shouldn’t be getting this involved in something that was essentially not her problem, but she really wished she could stay right here with the two of them, or better yet, take William home with her.

  Reminding herself that was not an option, Michelle stood. “He should be good for three hours,” she said.

  “Sure you don’t want to stay the night? We could have a slumber party.”

  The image of Thad in his pj’s was all she needed to throw her overheated senses into overdrive. She quickened her pace. “Nice try.”

  William in his arms, he followed her into the foyer. “What should I do if he starts crying again?”

  Michelle paused, her hand on the doorknob. “Generally speaking, if William is unhappy, it’s one of four things—he’s wet, hungry, sleepy or in need of comfort and reassurance. Just go down the list, and if all else fails, just talk to him.”

  Thad said, a tender note in his tone, “He likes your voice.”

  And I like yours, Michelle thought, realizing how easily she could get used to being around Thad.

  She smiled. “He’ll like yours, too, if he hears it often enough.”

  “Thanks for coming over.” Thad shot her a look full of gratitude. “For helping. For everything.”

  Unwillingly Michelle flashed back to another man, another time, and gratitude that had been mistaken for something else. She hardened her defenses, knowing she had to be careful. “Try to get some sleep.” She opened the door.

  “Can I call you in an emergency?” he asked as Michelle swept into the darkness of the cloudy spring night.

  She nodded, throwing the words over her shoulder. “But only if it’s an emergency.”

  MICHELLE HALF EXPECTED Thad to call her every three hours through the night. He didn’t. Several times she got up and went to the window and looked across the street to his home. At eleven, two and five, the lights were on, and the rest of the time the house was dark. Which probably meant, she thought, that William was sleeping between feedings.

  Telling herself that was good—Thad could easily handle parenting William on his own, after all—Michelle forced herself to go back to bed each time and try to get some sleep.

  When the alarm went off at six, it was a relief. She skipped her usual morning run and headed for the shower. At seven, Thad and William were at her door.

  Soon after, they were off, Michelle and Thad sitting in the front of his BMW SUV, William sleeping contentedly in the middle of the rear seat.

  “So how was your night?” Michelle asked, opening up her briefcase. If she was going to protect her heart, she needed to stay in business mode.

  “Fine, as soon as William and I reached an understanding.”

  Michelle heard the smile in Thad’s voice. “And that was?”

  “There was only one place he was going to sleep more than ten minutes.”

  She sent him a sidelong glance. “You held him all night?”

  Thad nodded, looking as content as she had felt after spending all day holding William. “I slept in the reading chair and ottoman in the study, and he slept on my chest.”

  Michelle could imagine that was a very warm and snuggly place to sleep. She cast a look back at William, but couldn’t see a lot, because the infant seat was facing backward. “I’m surprised he’s been content in his car seat for as long as he has.”

  “It’s probably the motion,” Thad theorized.

  As it turned out, he was probably right. William slept all the way to Big Spring, and continued sleeping as they followed the MapQuest directions to the address listed for Candace Wright.

  The surrogate mother lived in a small yellow bungalow with a sparse lawn and overgrown shrubbery. “Think one of us should ring the bell and see if she’s home first?” Michelle asked.

  Before Thad could reply, the front door opened and a slightly pudgy young woman stepped out. Arms crossed in front of her, her long dishwater-blond hair whipping around in the spring breeze, she stalked over to the car. Took a glance at the infant seat in back. Sighed. “Let’s not do this on the street,” she said, motioning at the bungalow.

  THAD WASN’T SURE what he expected the surrogate mother’s home to be like. Certainly not a wall-to-wall artist’s studio, with beautiful landscapes stacked against every surface, and an easel with a half-finished canvas front and center in the room.

  “I’m sorry I had to leave the baby like that,” Candace Wright said as soon as introductions had been made, “but I was afraid you’d be like everyone else in this mess and refuse to take him.”

  “You’re sure Brice and Beatrix Johnson don’t want him, either?” Michelle asked.

  “Apparently not.” Clearly confused about the situation, Candace shrugged. “I’m as surprised as you are. They were thrilled about the baby until a couple of days before William was born. Then they started acting a little weird, almost like they were having second thoughts.”

  “Did you ask them about that?” Thad interrupted.

  Candace shook her head. “I told myself they were just nervous about becoming parents. Happens to a lot of people, from what I’ve seen. Anyway, they came to the hospital and were there when William was born. As soon as they held him they seemed really happy again. We signed the papers. They took him home. Everything was great. A day later, Beatrix shows up at my door with the baby, completely distraught, and just hands him to me.”

  Thad and Michelle both did a double take, but it was Michelle who asked the question first. “With no explanation?”

  Candace lifted her hands in helpless frustration. “Beatrix said a lot of things, but none of it made any sense, she was crying so hard. All I got out of her was that she couldn’t do this right now…and maybe not ever…and that because I was his mom I had to take care of baby William…there was no one else. By then he was crying, too. Beatrix really started sobbing.” Candace sighed and shoved a hand through her hair. “Beatrix mumbled something about her husband needing her, then she ran back to the car, jumped in and drove off, still crying her eyes out. I didn’t know what was going on, so I called the lady lawyer who handled the legal stuff for the surrogate arrangement—”

  “Do you have her card?”

  Candace nodded and went to retrieve it. “She sounded as stunned as I was when I told her what had just happened, but she wouldn’t do anything, or even talk about the situation with me.”

  “She really couldn’t until she had spoken to her clients,” Michelle explained.

  “That doesn’t make sense!” Candace complained.

  “It’s complicated,” Michelle admitted. “But her first duty, as the Johnsons’ legal counsel, is to them. Whatever is said to her is privileged and can’t be shared with anyone else without their express permission. Otherwise, she could be disbarred.”

  “Whatever!” Candace scowled. “Anyway, she said she’d have to investigate and get back to me. I asked her to come and get the baby. She said not until she spoke to her clients. And then she asked me to sit tight and take care of the baby until other arrangements could be made.” The young woman threw up her hands in exasperation. “I’ve got a showing in Houston next month. I’m already way behind in what I need to have ready, and I don’t have time for this! So then I remembered that Russell had said he had a brother who was a doctor in Summit, Texas. I looked you up on the Internet, got your address and dropped William off and ran before you could tell me you didn’t want the responsibility for him, either. Not that any of this was supposed to be my problem, anyway. I only agreed to be a surrogate so I could afford to stay home for a year and concentrate on my art! I never wanted to become a parent. I still don’t.”

  Thad wasn’t sure whether to be grateful or annoyed that the surrogate was so emotiona
lly distanced from William.

  “What about the donor egg? Do you know where that came from?” Michelle asked.

  Candace nodded. “There was a nurse the Johnsons knew at the fertility clinic. She felt sorry for them just like I did because they wanted a kid so bad, and it wasn’t going to happen for them any other way. She’s the one who donated the egg.”

  “Do you have the nurse’s name?”

  Candace sobered. “She died in a boating accident a couple months ago.”

  “Did she have family?” Michelle asked.

  “No.” Candace paused. “So that just leaves Russell as William’s family. Since I can’t find Russell, that means you have to deal with this, Dr. Garner! Because I can’t! And frankly,” she finished wearily, “I shouldn’t have to, since I was just the vessel that carried the baby. Nothing more.”

  MICHELLE AND THAD STAYED long enough to get an affidavit from Candace briefly explaining what had happened.

  Michelle telephoned the San Angelo attorney who had handled the private surrogate arrangement and left a message, asking to meet with her as soon as possible. And then Michelle and Thad headed toward the Johnson home in San Angelo, William in tow.

  Unlike Candace Wright’s humble artist’s lair, Brice and Beatrix Johnson lived in a very nice home that sat on several acres of land in an exclusive gated community. Thad drove up the paved drive and, as before, they’d barely gotten out of Thad’s SUV when the front door opened. A woman Thad estimated to be in her early forties rushed out, overnight bag in hand. Her hair was wet—as if she had just gotten out of the shower and hadn’t taken time to dry it. The little bit of makeup she did have on could not hide her red nose or the fragile puffiness surrounding her red-rimmed eyes. She stopped when she saw the baby cradled in Thad’s arms. Her expression fell.

  Thad took a chance. “Beatrix?”

  She nodded, eyes still on little William.

  Thad extended his free hand. “I’m Thad Garner, Russell Garner’s brother. This is my attorney, Michelle Anderson. We need to talk.”

  As Thad had hoped, Beatrix Johnson acquiesced. Minutes later, they were all settled in the elegant white living room. Briefly, Thad explained how they came to have custody of William.

  Beatrix continued to look a little shell-shocked. “I’m so sorry. This is all such a mess.”

  “So you have changed your mind about adopting William?” Thad asked.

  Beatrix nodded, looking all the more miserable but no less resolute.

  Michelle pulled a notepad from her bag and began to take notes. “And you started having doubts a few days before William was born?”

  Beatrix reached for a tissue. If she was surprised at how much they knew, she didn’t show it. “We found out I was pregnant—with twins. Due in six months. At first we were just so stunned. We didn’t know if we would be able to handle three children born so close together, but then we decided we could.”

  William stirred and Thad cradled the baby closer to his chest. “So you took him home from the hospital.”

  Beatrix nodded. Fleeting happiness appeared on her face. “It seemed like everything was going to be fine.” She paused for a breath and her expression changed. “And then the very next day my husband was in a terrible car accident. So I rushed the baby over to Candace and I went to the hospital to be with my husband and that’s where I’ve been ever since. I just came home this morning to shower and get a fresh change of clothing. I was on my way back to see Brice when you arrived.”

  “Is your husband going to be all right?” Thad asked.

  Beatrix’s shoulders slumped in obvious relief. “The doctors think so, but he has a broken back and leg and months of rehabilitation ahead of him.” Beatrix’s lower lip trembled. “I can’t handle a newborn, take care of my husband and be pregnant with twins at the same time. Even if we were to get help in, it’s just too much!” She dabbed at her eyes. “I talked to my husband this morning. And as much as it breaks our hearts, he agrees. We have to do what is right for William and find him a home where he can get the love and attention he deserves.”

  MICHELLE WAITED until the three of them had stopped for lunch at a park on the outskirts of town before she asked Thad, “Are you okay? You’ve had a lot to try to absorb the past thirty hours or so.”

  Thad walked William back and forth while she added powdered formula to sun-warmed bottled water. His expression as sober as his thoughts, he turned his gaze back to hers and told her what was on his mind. “My brother’s attitude I can almost understand. Russell likes to help people on the fly, and he never thinks things through. Candace Wright obviously needs money, and I think her heart is in the right place, too. She could have turned the baby over to foster care, or driven to the closest police or fire station and dropped him off there anonymously.” He exhaled. “Instead, she drove him all the way to Summit and left him with me. With the only true family William has.”

  “You’re right.” Michelle shook the bottle vigorously. “The surrogate mother could have simply called 9-1-1 and let them sort it out. As for Brice and Beatrix Johnson—” This wasn’t anything they had asked for. “They’re really in a tough spot. My heart goes out to them.”

  Thad accepted the bottle she gave him. Still standing, he offered it to William and watched as the little boy began to take the formula. “I feel for them, too,” Thad said. “This is a very difficult situation. Clearly, it’s not easy for them to give the little guy up, but they are forcing themselves to be realistic, no matter how much it hurts, and do what is best for William under the circumstances. They’re putting him first. Just as I intend to do.”

  Michelle caught her breath at the intent look in Thad’s eyes. Although she wasn’t supposed to be getting emotionally involved, this was what she had secretly hoped for. “What are you saying, Thad?” she asked cautiously, needing to be sure.

  Thad stepped closer yet, steely determination in his golden-brown eyes. “I want to adopt William, Michelle.” Deliberately, Thad held her gaze. “Will you help me?”

  Chapter Four

  “I know you mean well.”

  He guided her to the low brick wall that edged the grass surrounding the picnic area. Making sure they were out of earshot of everyone else, he sat down with William still in his arms and stretched his legs out in front of him. “But…?”

  Michelle sat down, too, making sure there was a good distance between them. Which he promptly closed, simply by sliding toward her. “Adopting a child is not like helping out in an emergency. It’s a lifelong commitment.”

  “You think I don’t understand that?” He sounded faintly annoyed.

  She turned so her bent knee was touching his rock-hard thigh. “I think you’re acting in the heat of emotion because you feel responsible for this child in a way no one else seems to, and because you’ve grown to care for him.” And it wasn’t hard to see why. William was a very lovable little boy, cute and fragile in the way all newborn babies were.

  “I’m not going to change my mind.”

  If he had other children or even a wife, Michelle might feel differently. But he was a bachelor, a man who’d never been able to settle on one woman. She sent him a level look, aware her heart was racing again. “You need to think about this,” she insisted.

  His voice dropped. “I have thought about it—all last night and today.”

  So had Michelle.

  But five years’ experience in family law had taught her to proceed cautiously. Decisions made in the heat of emotion were often the wrong ones. “I know this seems like a good idea now,” she said gently, determined to remain sensible, “but you’ve only been responsible for William for the past thirty-some hours, and of that time, I was taking care of him for thirteen hours.”

  He acknowledged this with a slight nod of his head, his eyes never leaving hers. “I had him by myself all last night.”

  She pretended she wasn’t playing with fire here. “And had help from me again today. What’s going to happen when you and
I both have to go to work tomorrow?”

  He lifted his broad shoulders in an unapologetic shrug. “I’m off tomorrow and I traded my Tuesday shift, which means I don’t work again until Wednesday. That gives me time to figure something out, after I get the legal issues taken care of.”

  Michelle tried not to make too much of his unexpectedly bold confession. She swallowed the knot of emotion in her throat. “You’re really getting ahead of yourself here, Thad.” Ignoring the warmth in Thad’s eyes as he gave William his bottle, she said, “Brice and Beatrix Johnson haven’t officially terminated their rights yet.”

  Thad waited until William had a good ounce, then handed her the bottle and moved William to his shoulder for a burp. As he patted the infant gently on the back, he said, “They will.”

  He was so confident.

  Michelle’s gaze drifted to the trusting way William rested his cheek on Thad’s shoulder, his angelic face turned into the comforting curve of Thad’s neck. They were so cute together, these two Garner guys, already looking so much like father and son.

  “As far as the law is concerned, right now Brice and Beatrix Johnson are still William’s parents. You have physical custody of the child only because they are allowing it.”

  Thad shifted William back into the strong cradle of his arms and offered the bottle again. Michelle watched as William suckled eagerly. It was as if at some point during the night the infant had decided he wanted Thad to be his family as much as Thad wanted William to be his.

  “What do you think I should do next then—from a practical standpoint?” Thad asked.

  “Get legal representation for yourself as soon as possible.” More a friend now than counsel, Michelle put a gentle hand on his arm and looked him in the eye. “And in the meantime, you need to really think about this tonight, Thad. And make absolutely certain it’s what you want to do.” Before you and William bond even more…