by Judy Duarte
“He’s decided to take the advice I gave him earlier and is going to report this to the police.”
“Then we need to meet him there.” For a moment, Kirsten feared that Jeremy would remind her that he had to go to the clinic this morning, that he was too busy to get involved, especially in this kind of mess.
But he did just as she’d hoped he would. He slipped an arm around her shoulders and said, “Yes, we do. Get Anthony’s car seat, and we’ll put it in my vehicle. When I told you we were in this together, I meant it.”
Kirsten didn’t think she could love the man any more than she did right now.
Ten minutes later, Jeremy drove Kirsten and Max to the police precinct.
“What if they take him away from us?” she asked. “I hate the idea of Anthony going with strangers.”
It was better than having the mysterious Charlie find him, Jeremy thought. Besides, Anthony was young enough that he’d probably be okay with anyone who kept him warm and fed, anyone who was loving and kind. But he didn’t share that thought with Kirsten.
As far as she was concerned, no one could take care of Anthony as well as she could. And Jeremy had to agree with that.
“Don’t worry. I’ll do whatever it takes to convince the authorities to let us keep him until things get sorted out.”
“Us?” she asked, her eyes hopeful and bright.
“Yes, us. We’re in this together, honey. And I plan to call in some favors. The Fortunes and the Mendozas are highly thought of in these parts. So I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”
At least, not yet.
Once at police headquarters, Max told the officer in charge why they were there. Then they were taken to a small conference room, where Max reported all that he knew about Charlie and Courtney.
The officer in charge leaned back in his chair. “We’ll place the baby in protective custody while we track down the parents.”
“We’d like to keep him with us,” Jeremy said. “We’ve got a bedroom for him. And we’ve been taking care of him for weeks.”
“I don’t mind placing the child with family,” the officer said, “but under the circumstances…”
“I’m a physician,” Jeremy said, giving Max a look and a silent message to encourage him to follow his lead. “And this is my fiancée and her brother.”
Kirsten didn’t say a word, although she tensed a bit at his response. So he took her hand in his and gave it a warm, trust-me-honey squeeze.
“The baby will be much better off with us,” he added. “We’ve also got a list of references, beginning with J. R. Fortune and Jose Mendoza. You won’t be sorry.”
Jeremy watched as Max began to nod in agreement and as a grin spread over his face. It was clear that he understood what Jeremy was trying to make happen.
Getting the authorities to award temporary custody to Max might have been a stretch, but a solid and dependable couple stood a lot better chance.
The officer thought about it a moment, then said, “I’ll have to run it by a judge so that we can get a temporary custody order. Hold on while I see if I can find one who’s nearby and available.”
When the man stepped out of the room, Max said, “Anthony needs a diaper change. And there’s one of those family restrooms just down the hall. I’ll be right back.”
When they were alone, Kirsten nudged Jeremy’s arm. “Your fiancée?”
“I thought it might help sway the judge to grant you custody.”
Kirsten’s brow furrowed, and her expression grew serious. “You’re probably right, but I…”
He wasn’t sure what was bothering her, the fact that he’d stretched the truth about an engagement, he supposed. But this wasn’t a discussion he wanted to have at the courthouse. “We can talk more about it later.”
She nodded, yet her apprehension remained.
Twenty minutes later, it was official. Kirsten Allen and Dr. Jeremy Fortune had temporary legal custody of Baby Anthony Doe.
With everything in order, they headed for the car to make the short drive back to Kirsten’s house.
“Thanks so much for all you’ve done for me and my sister,” Max said. “This situation has been pretty tough on us, but having you in our corner sure helped.”
“I’m glad everything worked out.”
“I’d better give Ruben a call,” Max added. “I need to apologize for taking off like I did, but when Courtney said she was leaving the area and that she wanted to meet with me before she went, I didn’t know what else to do.”
“Hopefully Ruben will cut you some slack,” Jeremy said. “But next time something like that happens, you’re going to have to level with him—or with whoever your supervisor happens to be. You can’t just walk off a job site without an explanation.”
“I’ll remember that.”
“So where did Courtney go?” Kirsten asked.
“She wouldn’t tell me. But she did give me this.” Max reached into his pocket, pulled out a small gold medal lion and dropped it in his sister’s hand.
“What is it?” Kirsten asked, as she studied the golden coin in her palm.
“Courtney said that Anthony was wearing it when Charlie gave him to her.”
Jeremy studied the medallion. “It doesn’t look all that expensive. But maybe it holds a clue as to who he is and where he belongs.”
He sure hoped so. They could all stand a few answers right now.
Meanwhile, miles away in a small Texas town, a teenager hanging out at a bus stop spotted an old homeless guy wandering the streets. At least, he looked homeless.
He also appeared to be disoriented, maybe strung out on something.
When he approached the bench, where the kid sat, he furrowed his silver brow—confused, it seemed.
He had to be in his late sixties or early seventies.
Heck, maybe even older.
As he scanned the immediate area, the bench, the grass, the sidewalk—even the sky—it was pretty obvious that he didn’t have any idea where he was.
“You okay?” the kid asked him.
“I’m not sure.”
“What’s your name?” the boy asked.
Confusion washed over his bearded face. “I…I don’t know.”
The teen wondered if he ought to report the old guy, although he seemed harmless. Just a little messed up, which was really sad for a guy his age. He ought to be sitting in a rocking chair on a porch somewhere, not wandering around and scrounging for a meal.
Feeling especially sympathetic, the kid reached into his pocket and retrieved a granola bar he’d grabbed from the kitchen pantry on his way out of the house today.
“You want this?”
The old guy took it, rolled it over. Then he looked up and smiled wistfully. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
The kid didn’t smell stale booze or smoke on him, but who knew for sure. So he asked, “You a wino? Or maybe a druggie?”
The man slowly shook his head. “No, but to tell you the truth, I feel kind of hungover. Maybe I was at a frat party.”
At his age? And in his condition? No way.
The guy was clearly whacked-out. Maybe he was one of those Alzheimer’s patients who wandered away from the nursing home every now and then.
“How old are you?” the kid asked.
“Twenty-five,” he said. “Or maybe twenty-six. I forget.”
Oh, yeah? Then he must have forgotten about fifty whole years of his life.
“Why don’t you sit down on that bench,” the kid said.
“I’ll see if I can get you some aspirin or something for your hangover. Or better yet, I’ll call someone to come get you and take you to a clinic.”
“No,” the old man said. “I’ll be fine. It’s just that I have something to do. Something very important.”
“What’s that?” the kid asked.
“I… I’m not sure.”
The kid looked up and down the street. Where were the cops when you really needed one?
/> He was just about to call 911, when his cell phone chimed. His buddy D.J. was texting him, so he flipped to the screen to read the message.
A couple of their friends were going to a movie and D.J. asked if he wanted to join them.
He glanced at the old man. Why did he think it was his job to help? There were a lot of other people around—adults who were better able to deal with the poor guy’s issues than he was. So he decided to take off and find his friends.
“You take care,” he said. “Okay, dude?”
The old man looked up, just as confused as ever.
Back at the Double Crown Ranch, Lily put on a kettle of water to boil. Then she removed a china cup from the cupboard and took a box of chamomile tea from the pantry.
The phone rang, and she answered.
“Lily,” Jeremy said. “If all goes according to plan, I’ll be staying at Kirsten’s tonight, so I won’t be coming home. Are you going to be okay?”
“I’m fine,” she said.
Jeremy had always been a sweet boy, and she knew that he’d been staying with her to keep her company until William returned. “Thanks for letting me know.”
Silence stretched across the line until Jeremy said, “I worry about you when I’m not there. I have a feeling you’re just waiting for the telephone to ring with news of my dad.”
“The waiting isn’t in vain.”
Jeremy didn’t respond right away. Then he asked, “Have you heard from the police lately? Have they uncovered anything else?”
Not anything of substance. “No, but I’m sure it’s just a matter of time. We’ll hear something soon.”
As the kettle went off, she turned down the fire. “Why don’t you bring Kirsten out here for dinner tomorrow night?”
“I’d like that, Lily.”
“Good. Dinner will be ready at six, but you can come whenever you like.”
“Thanks.” He paused again, then added, “Are you sure you’ll be okay without me home tonight?”
“Absolutely. I’m not alone.” He probably thought that she meant her household staff and the ranch hands were nearby, but she couldn’t help thinking that it was more than that.
“Take care,” he said. “And sleep tight.”
“I will. Kiss Kirsten and that baby for me. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
When the call ended, she filled her cup with hot water, then dropped a chamomile tea bag into it.
As she waited for it to steep, she sensed a presence—just like she had several times before.
She couldn’t explain it—that warm, inner peace. The sense of calm, of love.
Nor could she shake the words that seemed to speak to her mind.
“Don’t give up hope,” they whispered. “He’ll come home to you.”
She nodded, as if she could somehow communicate right back.
I won’t give up. I’ll wait for him until the day I die.
When Jeremy had called Kirsten his fiancée at the courthouse, her heart had sung with hope.
But when she quizzed him about his comment, he’d said, “I thought it might help sway the judge to grant you custody.”
At that point, her song had hit a flat note.
Not that she didn’t appreciate what Jeremy had done to ensure that she would get custody of Anthony. But his lie had only opened a new can of worms, and she couldn’t help worrying that there might be some legal ramifications if the court ever learned that they weren’t really engaged.
He’d told her that he loved her, of course. But he’d never mentioned anything about a commitment.
“We can talk more about it later,” he’d said.
But as luck would have it, Anthony had been fussy on the short ride back to her house, and Jeremy had been tightlipped.
Then he’d disappeared for a while, saying he was going to pick up groceries so he could fix dinner for her this evening.
Maybe they would finally have a chance to talk about the future while they ate. She sure hoped so. Not knowing what he was thinking or feeling made her more than a little uneasy.
And to top it off, Jeremy had gone into the kitchen more than an hour ago and had refused to let her in while he cooked.
“It’s a surprise,” he’d said, each time she’d knocked at the door.
She wasn’t sure what he was making, but it certainly smelled delicious.
So, after bathing Anthony and putting on his onesie, Kirsten gave him a bottle and put him to bed. Then she waited on the sofa for Jeremy to announce that every thing was ready.
Max, who’d taken a shower and splashed on a bit of his favorite aftershave, entered the living room, dressed to the hilt in a new pair of jeans and a plaid flannel shirt.
He’d been invited to Kelly’s house again, which meant Jeremy and Kirsten would have a quiet night alone.
“Don’t wait up for me,” Max said. “And go ahead and lock the door whenever you decide to turn in. I have a key, but I have a feeling I’ll be invited to stay over for breakfast, too.”
He was grinning from ear to ear, and Kirsten couldn’t help being happy for him.
“Drive carefully,” she said.
“I always do.”
After Max left, she reached for the novel she’d left on the lamp table and opened to the bookmarked page.
But she didn’t read more than a paragraph before Jeremy stepped through the doorway, his eyes lit up like a child’s at Christmas.
“Dinner’s ready,” he said.
“Good.” She returned the book to the table, then got to her feet.
“Before we eat,” he said, “I have something I want to ask you.”
“What’s that?”
He crossed the room and took her by the hand. Then he dropped to one knee.
Her imagination, as well as her heart, began to race, but she feared that she might be jumping to the wrong conclusion.
“What are you doing?”
He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small, Tiffany-blue-colored box and popped open the lid, revealing the biggest, shiniest diamond she’d ever seen.
“Will you marry me, Kirsten?”
Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach, then began to rumble back into her chest. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t form.
“Is this for real?” she finally asked.
He cocked his head slightly to the side, and his smile faded. “What do you mean?”
“An engagement,” she said. “Is it real? Or is it just a part of your plan to sway the judge?”
A grin tugged at his lips. “If you say no, then I’ll claim it was only part of that particular plan. But the truth is, I love you, Kirsten. And I want to marry you—judge or no judge.”
Tears welled in her eyes. She tried to blink them back, but wasn’t having any luck. She knew she should respond to his proposal, but the emotion, the happiness, the dreams of a wonderful future all tumbled around in her throat.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” he asked.
“Yes!” she finally said through tears. “I’ll marry you. And I’ll follow you to California or Timbuktu. It doesn’t matter to me, as long as we’re together.”
Then she pulled him to his feet, threw her arms around his neck and kissed him with all the love in her heart.
The future might be a little uncertain at the moment, Kirsten decided, but it had never looked brighter.
Special thanks and acknowledgment to Judy Duarte
for her contribution to the
Fortunes of Texas: Lost…and Found miniseries.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-8476-4
HEALING DR. FORTUNE
Copyright © 2011 by Harlequin Books S.A.
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*Bayside Bachelors
†Montana Mavericks: Gold Rush Grooms
**Talk of the Neighborhood
††The Texas Homecoming
§The Wilder Family
§§Fortunes of Texas: Return to Red Rock
‡‡Brighton Valley Medical Center
‡The Baby Chase
§§§Fortunes of Texas: Lost…and Found
