The Baby Barter

by Patty Smith Hall

  “Thea...”

  Before she could finish, Mack interrupted. “Mrs. Miller, why don’t you go upstairs and lie down for a little while? You look like you could use a nap.”

  Momma rested her chin in the palm of her hand as if giving it serious thought. “I am tired.”

  Thea hurried around the table to where her mother had started to stand up. “Let me help you upstairs, okay?”

  “That’s very sweet of you, dear,” she said as she leaned her full weight against Thea. “Everything will be all right once we get the baby back. Then my daughter will come home and take care of everything for me.”

  Dread tightened like a steel band around Thea’s chest. “Who are you taking about?”

  “My daughter, silly girl! Eileen Miller.”

  Pain exploded through her, as if her mother had reared back and slapped her as hard as she could. Momma didn’t know the pain she’d inflicted when, for the briefest of moments, she couldn’t remember who Thea was.

  Thea straightened on wobbly legs. War had not broken her, the years of endless shifts and dying children might have taken some part of her, but she’d held fast, stayed strong. But the weight of this loss, of losing her mother slowly, of watching her fade away second by agonizing second, fell heavy against her soul. “Let’s get you to bed.”

  Minutes later, the scent of lilacs—her mother’s favorite—faintly hung in the cool air of her mother’s room as Thea sat Momma in a chair, then pulled back the handmade quilt that had graced her mother’s bed since Thea was a little girl. By now it was worn and frayed along the edges, and for the life of her, Thea couldn’t understand why her mother hung on to it after all these years. A question never to be answered, perhaps.

  Downstairs, Mack had peeled back the wax paper from the bread and was pushing a knife through the stale crust as Thea walked back into the kitchen. She lit the stove, took one slice he’d already cut, slathered it with butter, then placed thinly sliced pieces of cheese on the bread and sat it in the frying pan.

  Mack handed her a spatula. “You want to talk about it?”

  “Not right now.”

  “Okay, but you know I’m here when you need me.”

  She buttered another piece of bread and sat it on top of the other one, then took the spatula and turned it over, the butter sizzling against the hot pan. “You’ve always been a good listener.”

  Thea couldn’t be sure but she thought she saw him grimace. He ducked his head and went to work on another piece of bread. “Mind if I have a sandwich, too? I’ve been busy since I left Ms. Aurora’s.

  “Sure.” Thea opened the cabinet and pulled down two plates before flipping the finished sandwich onto one. “Trying to get caught up with work?”

  “Nope.” He handed her a slice of bread and started sawing off the next piece. “Busy making plans for our wedding.”

  Their what? “That was quick.”

  He gave her a lopsided grin that could have melted the butter without the pan. “I figure the sooner, the better.”

  The sooner, the better. Maybe he thought he was doing her a favor, but shouldn’t she have a say in her own wedding? She planted her fist on a hip and glared at him. “And what do I do during all this, just show up?”

  She almost smacked him with the spatula when he laughed. “No, that’s why I’m here. I wanted to get your opinion and make the decisions together.”

  “But your plans...”

  “Aren’t carved into granite. This is your wedding, too, Thea. I wouldn’t do anything without asking you first.”

  Thea smacked the flat end of the spatula nervously against her skirt. Mack’s rush to the altar had thrown her for another loop, but she should have heard him out before she barked at him. “I’m sorry. I just wasn’t expecting you to want to get married so fast.”

  “I know, but I think it’s best for everyone.” He handed her the last slice of bread then rewrapped the leftover loaf in the wax paper. “This way, we put an end to the rumors going around and get our adoption petition into the court before Medcalf sets another surgery date.”

  Mack had been doing a lot of thinking since she’d left this morning. Thea slid the spatula under the sandwich and moved it on to the other plate. “When were you thinking we could get married?”

  “In two days.”

  Two days! “Have you lost your mind? Two days!”

  “Is that too soon for you?”

  She’d marry him this moment if she thought there was even the slimmest chance Mack could love her. But never once in all their discussions about getting married and adopting Sarah together had love been mentioned.

  Sarah. Mack was right about one thing. Now that Sarah had recovered from the chicken pox, Doctor Medcalf would waste no time rescheduling the surgery. If they wanted a say in her care, they would have to act quickly.

  If only there was a hope that Mack loved her—or even that he would come to love her in time. It would make everything so perfect. But life never fell neatly into place that way, at least it never had for her. Raising Sarah and her friendship with Mack would have to be enough. Thea handed Mack his plate and picked up her own. “If we’re getting married in two days, we’d better get to work.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Thea glanced at the bedside clock and bolted upright in her bed. Nine o’clock! She had an appointment to meet Mack in the hallway outside of Judge Wakefield’s chambers at two. There, the judge would marry them and sign the reworked adoption papers, which Red would file with the court this afternoon. In a few short weeks, Sarah would legally be their daughter. She lay back on the mattress, her heart bursting from the joy of it.

  A family of her own!

  But not if she didn’t get moving. Thea pushed back the heavy quilts, her toes curling up against the cold as she sat up on the side of the bed. Mrs. Thea Worthington. Mack’s wife. A tiny thrill ran through her.

  In name only, remember?

  The thought tempered the excitement she felt. Okay, so maybe she and Mack wouldn’t have a full and complete marriage, but the past couple of days, working on their makeshift wedding, they’d drawn closer, rebuilt the relationship that had cracked under the strain of Thea’s desertion all those years ago. And she’d be Sarah’s mother in every way that mattered. That would be enough to make her happy. A heavy knot tightened in Thea’s midsection. It would have to be, wouldn’t it?

  A soft rap drew Thea’s attention to the door as Maggie peeked her head around the corner. “Oh, good. You’re awake.” She nudged the door open with her elbow, a small tray in her hands. The scent of fresh coffee, warm blueberry muffins and shortbread cookies filled the small space as she crossed the room and sat the tray down on the nightstand next to Thea’s bed. “I thought you could use a little pampering this morning. It’s not every day a girl gets married.”

  “That’s so sweet of you to do this.” Thea grabbed her robe off the end of the bad and threw it around her shoulders. “I don’t know how I can ever thank you enough.”

  “You haven’t tasted the muffins yet. Mine aren’t as moist as Merrilee’s and I can’t for the life of me figure out why.” As if to demonstrate, Maggie picked up one of the small muffins and peeled back the paper, bringing bits of blueberries and crumbs along with it.

  “You’ve still got me beat, though I do make a killer grilled cheese sandwich.” Thea pulled a coffee cup toward her, splashed a small amount of milk into it, then reached for the coffeepot.

  “If you want more milk, don’t mind me. Most everyone around here drinks it black. I only brought some up because Mack said you liked a lot in your coffee.”

  “Well, thank you.” Thea poured in a generous splash then filled her cup. The porcelain cup warmed her fingers as she took a long sip. How sweet of Mack to remember such a small, insignificant thing as how she took her coff
ee. What other little habits of hers had he remembered? Just the thought that he’d made a note of it made her feel unique and special.

  “Thinking about Mack?”

  Thea’s cheeks grew heated as she glanced over the rim of her cup. “Just wondering how he talked you into letting me stay with you on such short notice.”

  “Mack thought you wouldn’t have to rush trying to get to the courthouse if you were staying in town.” Maggie grabbed a shortbread cookie from the plate and broke it in two. “A wise man knows a woman needs a little bit more time to get herself ready on her wedding day.”

  “That was kind of him.”

  “He’s a sweet man, just as good as they come.” Her friend gave her a smile before popping a small portion of cookie into her mouth. She covered her mouth as she spoke. “But a two-day engagement! What’s the rush?”

  “That’s exactly what I said,” Thea muttered over the rim of her cup. “But Mack was determined.”

  A giggle escaped Maggie’s covered mouth. “I’ll say he was. Planning the whole wedding. Arranging for your mother to stay with Ms. Aurora until after you’re able to take Sarah home. I guess when Mack met you again, he didn’t want to wait longer than he absolutely had to.”

  It would have been nice to carry that thought around in her heart, but it was nowhere near the truth. “Is that how it was for you and Wesley?”

  Maggie pushed a crumb at the corner of her lips into her mouth and chuckled. “Oh, no. When I first met Wesley, I thought he was this hotshot pilot who couldn’t bear the thought of a woman flying one of his precious planes. But as I got to know him—” her voice softened, her hand resting against the soft curve of her swollen belly “—I couldn’t help falling in love with him.”

  Thea smiled against the rim of her cup. It was wonderful that Maggie had found contentment and happiness with her husband. In fact, it appeared most of the Danielses had made marriages based on love and trust. A tiny pang of envy sobered Thea’s mood. This marriage she was about to enter into may not be the kind she’d dreamed of when she’d been a little girl. But dreams changed, didn’t they? The opportunity to raise Sarah alongside Mack, to grow as a family, to put down roots, was far more than she deserved.

  “You’d better get moving if you want any hot water for your bath.” Maggie stood, brushed a stray crumb or two off her skirt then arched her back, resting a fist near the base of her spine. “Grandpa mentioned the weather being warm enough to wash the windows today, though why he’d want to do that right before winter sets in is beyond me.”

  Thea replaced her cup on the tray, then stood, belting her robe at her waist. “From everything I’ve heard about Wesley’s grandfather, he’s always been an active man. Maybe he’s bored.”

  “I hadn’t thought about that. I wonder if he’d want to help me work on the nursery. The room could use a new coat of paint, and we haven’t put up any decorations. Wesley won’t let me near a ladder to hang curtains, much less paint.”

  “Of course the man won’t,” Thea teased. “He adores you too much to see you get hurt.”

  “There’s adoring, then there’s annoying.” Maggie flashed Thea a knowing smile as she picked up the service and headed for the door. “But you’ll find that out soon enough.”

  Would she ever know that feeling, of being so loved it was annoying? Both she and Mack had agreed Sarah would be their focus, at least for the foreseeable future, but what about later? Mack had always wanted a large family. If they could find their way to loving each other, there might be a chance at more children. To have his child nestled right under her heart started an ache deep in the pit of her stomach.

  “There’s bath salts and body cream in the bathroom in case you want to use them. I also put some extra towels out, just in case.”

  How sweet of Maggie! “That’s really very nice of you.”

  Her friend opened the door before turning and looking back at Thea. “Mack deserves all the happiness the world has to offer this side of heaven. You do, too.” She gave Thea a watery smile. “I’ve always thought the two of you belonged together, even back in high school. You’re going to make each other very happy.”

  How could Maggie be so certain? Thea almost asked but the door had already clicked shut before she could get the question out. The mattress sank beneath her as she sat at the foot of the bed. Marrying Mack might make her happy, but what about him? Didn’t someone so good and decent deserve more than a bride thrust on him because of cruel gossip? A woman whose family carried more baggage than the Union Pacific railroad? She vowed never to give him a chance to regret this decision. Because at this moment, Thea knew what choice she’d make.

  She chose Mack.

  Excitement thrummed through her veins as she rushed over to the dressing table, grabbed her vanity case and headed down the hall to the bathroom. Warm, moist air perfumed with the scent of ginger filled the tiny room, swirls of stream rising from the tub, a trickle of water coming from the faucet. Another gift from Maggie. Setting her case on the vanity, Thea slipped out of her nightclothes and into the fragrant water.

  Less than an hour later, Thea emerged from her room, powdered and primped, feeling more like a woman than she had since shipping out to Sheffield four years ago. Looping the strap of her purse up her arm, she tugged on her chocolate-brown gloves, the perfect match for the pale gold dress she’d splurged on for the ceremony. She was still chasing the last button on her glove when she became aware of someone watching her. Thea glanced up to find Maggie and Beau waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

  “My word! Mack won’t know what hit him when he gets a look at you!” Maggie exclaimed as she took hold of Thea’s hands and held them slightly out to her sides to get a better look at her dress. “You’re absolutely gorgeous!”

  Thea knew her friend was exaggerating a bit but couldn’t deny the compliments helped boost her confidence. “Thank you.”

  Beau nodded. “My friend is a very blessed man.”

  Thea hoped Mack viewed their marriage that way. “You don’t know how much Mack and I appreciate your help with this.”

  Beau glanced down at his wristwatch. “He won’t be so grateful if I don’t get you to the courthouse on time. We need to get going.”

  “Hold on just a second.” Maggie gave her cousin a look of mild annoyance. “A bride is supposed to keep her groom waiting for a few extra minutes, at least long enough for us to say a quick blessing for the new couple.”

  Both Danielses looked at Thea. She nodded. “Mack and I could use all the help we can get.”

  They each lowered their heads, clasping hands as Maggie began. “Dear Lord, we’re coming to You today to ask for Your blessings on Mack and Thea as they begin their lives together. Guide them as they become parents to little Sarah, and take their hearts and shape them into one guided solely by You. In Christ’s name, Amen.”

  As Thea lifted her head, a peace that wouldn’t have been possible even five minutes ago flowed through her. Now she felt certain that God would bless this marriage and this new family they were forming today. A bubble of happiness lifted the corners of her mouth as she glanced at Maggie and Beau. “I guess it’s time to go and get me married.”

  “One more thing.” Maggie waddled across the foyer to the hall table and came back with a small bouquet of deep burgundy-and-gold mums, sunny daisies and baby’s breath. “Mack brought these by this morning. Said he wanted his bride to have flowers on their wedding day.”

  “He did?” Thea whispered into the bouquet as she took it from Maggie, a slight dampness seeping through her gloves. Mack had thought of even the smallest detail, almost as though this was a real marriage.

  Maybe it would be, Thea thought, following Maggie out the front door. In time.

  * * *

  Mack read over the first page of the case file for what seemed like the fourteenth time
, then tossed it to the side, unable to concentrate on the finer details of Officer Sydney’s report. His recent bout of chicken pox had left him with a mountain of paperwork and correspondence that needed to be addressed. A good way to pass the time until the nerves he’d been outrunning all morning finally caught up with him.

  He was getting married today.

  He glanced up at the wall clock that hung over his door and smiled. Maggie would have given Thea the flowers by now. Had she noticed, as he had, how the gold mums matched the color of her hair in the sunlight? Or that the ribbon holding her flowers was the same vivid shade of blue as her eyes? Red had thought it nonsense standing in Wilson’s Flower Shop as Mack picked out the blooms. Said his brain must have been attacked by chicken pox for Mack to throw money away on flowers for a marriage in name only. But to Mack’s way of thinking, this wedding needed flowers to let Thea know that what they had was special, no matter the circumstances of their marriage.

  A rap on the door lifted Mack’s head just as his secretary, Nell Jamierson, peeked inside. “Judge Wakefield is expecting you in twenty minutes.”

  “Thank you, Nell.”

  “Have you got the ring?”

  Leave it to a woman to remember that kind of detail. Mack opened his desk drawer, took out the small box he’d picked up at Mr. Friedman’s just this morning and opened it. A slender and delicate band of gold, decorated with a light blue stone, it had instantly reminded him of Thea, as if it had been made especially with her in mind. He held it out to his secretary. “What do you think?”

  Nell stepped forward. “I don’t know any women who’d turn that rock down. Your Thea is a very lucky girl.”

  His Thea. Something about the phrase pleased him, maybe because after today they’d be bound to each other, as friends, as parents raising Sarah. As husband and wife. Mack gave himself a mental shake. Maybe Red was right, maybe the chicken pox had muddled his brain, though truth be told, he’d been in a tangled mess since he’d spied Thea peeking out from underneath that oak at Merrilee’s wedding. At first, it had been only because she’d threatened the hopes he’d built around raising Sarah as his own, but that had all changed. Lately, he’d found himself thinking about her all the time—wondering what she’d done during her day, whether she’d had a good day with her mother. Not to mention the time he spent thinking about kissing her, holding her close. The need to comfort and protect her from the crazy world they lived in just about drove him mad.