Bachelor Father

by Jean C. Gordon

  Taking another sip of tea, she looked out the window. Stars twinkled brightly in the cold night sky while moonlight played on the greens and browns of the pinebush that stretched for acres behind the complex. What a welcome change from the noisy traffic and the harsh glow of streetlights she’d viewed from her previous apartments. Living on the western edge of Albany was quiet and peaceful, like living in the city without being in the city.

  Tonight, though, the condo seemed too quiet and empty. Molly studied the room. The furnishings were sparse, but quality. Her mother’s influence. If you can’t buy the best, don’t buy. Personal accents—the print Charles and Linda had given her as a housewarming gift, a pillow her family’s housekeeper, Helen Potter, had made her years ago, the plant stand a college boyfriend had helped her build—made the condo home. But it lacked the warm, lived in atmosphere that had surrounded her the minute she’d walked into Brett’s cluttered old farmhouse.

  Molly paced back to the couch, watching the flames dance in the fireplace for a minute before settling in again to the classifieds. Flipping through the pages, a personal ad caught her interest, and an idea took root. Should she? Could she? She thoughtfully swirled the wine remaining in her glass.

  “Yes,” she said, jumping to her feet and polishing off her tea. She would. It was a solution to her problem—and to Brett’s.

  Chapter Five

  “What?”

  “Let’s get married,” Molly repeated.

  “Are you out of your mind?” Brett said, searching his brain for some logical connection between Molly’s proposal and, well, anything.

  When she’d shown up unannounced on his doorstep this morning, he’d thought maybe Korean Child Welfare had reconsidered, or Molly had figured out some sort of solution or loophole that would let him keep Jake. But marriage. Never in a million years would he have dreamed that one up.

  “Yes,” Molly said, moving to the edge of the couch and gesturing enthusiastically. “Don’t you see? It’s the perfect solution.”

  If this was the perfect solution, his other options must be worse than he figured. Tina had thought he had a pretty good chance of winning his custody challenge. Could Molly know something she hadn’t told him yesterday?

  “We don’t even know each other,” Brett said. “Further, we don’t like each other.”

  Molly flinched at his last statement. Terrific. All he’d done is point out the bare facts. Well, maybe he’d been a little harsh. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Molly or that he wasn’t attracted to her. There was no denying the attraction. But he didn’t trust her. She had to be up to something.

  Sitting at the other end of the couch, he apologized. “I didn’t mean that the way it came out. You took me by surprise. Marriage isn’t something I’d considered.” At least not seriously. He thought of his joking proposal to Tina.

  At this encouragement, Molly’s eyes took on bright, expectant look that changed them to almost a Kelly green. “But you will consider it?”

  Brett laughed. It was obvious Molly didn’t know him very well. He had too much living to do before he tied himself down to anything as permanent as marriage. And he did consider marriage a permanent situation. Before he took that big of a step, he wanted what his grandparents must have had—a love so strong, it lasted 50 years. A ‘til-death-do-we-part love. He’d yet to experience anything close to that.

  Brett stopped chuckling. Molly wasn’t smiling along with him. In fact, she looked . . . the only word for it was stricken. He’d somehow hurt her again. What did she expect? That he’d leap at the chance to marry a total stranger?

  Brett moved to touch her shoulder and apologize again.

  “Don’t,” she said too sharply, giving Brett the distinct feeling she didn’t like to be touched. Or maybe she didn’t want him touching her. What a great start for a marriage.

  “Why am I even bothering?” Molly asked rhetorically. “You think it’s all a big joke, but I thought it might be the one way you could keep Jake.”

  Brett backed off. “I don’t see how our getting married will make any difference, unless KCW is changing all of their requirements.”

  Molly looked confused.

  “Kate and David had to be married for three years before they could apply. I know because Kate practically had the days counted to their third anniversary. She couldn’t have children of her own, and they wanted to start a family right away.”

  “Couples still have to be married at least three years to apply for adoption. But we won’t be adopting Jake.”

  “Wait a minute,” Brett interrupted. I thought the whole purpose of this screwy marriage plan of yours was to help me keep Jake. Now you say I’m not going to adopt him?”

  She was out to drive him crazy—and succeeding in more ways than one. Agitated, he ran his hand back through his hair. How could he be thinking about how beautiful she was when she was saying he wouldn’t be adopting Jake?

  “I didn’t say you wouldn’t be adopting Jake. I said we wouldn’t be.”

  She was making less and less sense to Brett. “If we’re not going to be adopting Jake, how is our being married going to help me?”

  “I’m a certified foster parent,” Molly answered, as if that should explain everything. She leaned back on the couch, crossed her arms, and gave him a dazzling, if somewhat self-satisfied, smile.

  “And?” Brett asked.

  Her smile slipped a bit and her brow wrinkled. “I’m not doing too well, here, am I?” She uncrossed her arms and fiddled nervously with the hem of her skirt, drawing Brett’s gaze back to her legs.

  Molly cleared her throat. When he looked back at her face, he thought he detected a glint of amusement in her eyes.

  “No,” he conceded. “I’m still about as lost as when you started.”

  “I’m sorry. It seemed like such a good idea to me last night.”

  “What does your being a certified foster parent have to do with anything?” Brett wished she’d start making some sense and quit making him feel like some sort of simpleton. It was like playing a game and not knowing any of the rules.

  “I can have Jake placed with me,” Molly explained.

  “That much I caught. Then, what?”

  Then, we marry and Jake can live with you—us—until your adoption is approved. Once you have your approval, we’ll get an annulment.”

  Brett rubbed the bridge of his nose. “You have this all figured out, don’t you?”

  Molly nodded, looking slightly smug again.

  “And our marriage has no effect on the adoption?” he asked.

  “Not really. The director of adoptions talked with the U.S. coordinator for Korean Child Welfare when she was in New York last week. Because of your unusual circumstances, KCW is willing to let you begin the adoption process now, but they won’t give you final approval until after the new regulations allowing single-parent adoptions go into effect. You’ll be applying to adopt Jake. I won’t.”

  It sounded great for him and Jake. But Brett couldn’t figure out why Molly would go to such extremes for someone she barely knew. He paused a minute silently studying the sprinkle of freckles that bridged her nose. She looked so innocent and guileless. He knew better. She was a woman. She had to have an agenda of her own.

  “What’s in this deal for you?”

  She shifted on the couch as if she was trying to get more comfortable, crossing and uncrossing her legs. “My job is to place the kids with the best parents for them. I think the best place for Jake is with you.” She broke eye contact, looking down to her hands absently fingering the hem of her skirt again.

  “Nice try, Ms. Hennessey.” He reached over and lifted her chin more gently than he felt. “But what do you get out of this deal?”

  “Personal satisfaction?” she answered lamely.

  Brett burst out laughing. He couldn’t help it. This whole conversation was so inane. He watched as Molly tried to keep a straight face. She finally gave up.

  Catching a small hint o
f hysteria in her laugh, Brett reined in his amusement and said, “You know, Molly, if you’re straight with me, maybe I could consider this crazy scheme of yours.”

  Molly took a deep breath and sat up straight and tall, taking on the aloof professional look she’d exhibited both times he’d met with her in her office.

  “Okay, here’s what’s in it for me. I get to buy my condominium.”

  The conversation lost its humor. “You think I’m going to buy you a condominium in exchange for Jack? Look around. Does it seem like I have that kind of money?

  She raised her hand in a stop sign. “Let me finish. The owner of the complex where I live is selling the rental units. We tenants have first offer. I could get a mortgage, but I don’t have enough of a down payment. I do have a trust fund my mother set up for me that’s enough to buy the condo outright. The problem is that I don’t have any access to the fund until either I marry or reach age thirty-five. Since I only have a month to accept the offer, that rules out my turning thirty-five.”

  Brett slapped his knee. He knew it. He knew she couldn’t be sacrificing several months of her life for nothing. But, hey, he wouldn’t want someone doing that anyway.

  “I get Jake,” he mused out loud, “and you get your condo. Sounds fair enough.”

  Before he could say more, they heard the side door slam. Humphrey came bounding in the room first, his tail wagging furiously, followed by Jake, a little girl who looked to Molly to be about the same age, and a tall willowy blond holding each of their hands.

  “Boo,” Jake shouted before pulling away from the woman and hurling himself onto Molly’s lap.

  She couldn’t help but reward such an enthusiastic greeting with a big hug. “Hi, Jake.” She looked from Jake’s grinning face to Brett’s, and then to the woman’s.

  The woman seemed to be taking her measure. Molly looked back at Brett. He stood to make introductions.

  “Molly, this is my friend and neighbor, Tina Cannon, and her daughter Amy. Jake’s been over at Tina’s this morning playing with Amy.”

  At the mention of his friend’s name, Jake scrambled off Molly’s lap and pulled the little girl over to the couch. “‘Amee,” he said, copying Brett, “my Boo.” He patted Molly’s knee.

  Everyone laughed.

  “Hi, Amy,” Molly said before turning her attention back to Tina. “I’m Molly Hennessey.” She stood and offered her hand. Tina made no move to accept it. “Brett’s caseworker,” Molly added.

  “I know,” Tina replied coolly, belatedly giving Molly the briefest of handshakes. “I’m Brett’s attorney.”

  Molly sized up the situation. Friend, neighbor, and attorney, on top of being absolutely stunning even in faded jeans and an oversized sweatshirt. Tina reminded Molly of the popular girls at college, the ones Molly’s guy friends would ask her advice on pursuing. Maybe Brett already had the solution to his custody problem. Tina certainly seemed ready to draw battle lines.

  “Nice to meet you,” Molly said with stiff politeness. About as nice as running smack up against an iceberg. She glanced at Brett, who was looking from her to Tina with an amused expression on his face. If he was expecting a catfight, she wasn’t going to be the one to begin it.

  “I’d better be getting back to the office,” Molly said to Brett. “You’ll think about my suggestion?”

  “I will.” He smiled broadly. “You won’t mind my discussing it with Tina, will you?”

  “Not at all. If you decide to accept, you’ll probably want her to draw up an agreement concerning your business and other property.” Molly’s chest tightened inexplicably as she glanced from Brett to Tina, watching the silent communication between them. “Or, maybe,” Molly tried to say brightly, “she’ll make you a better offer.”

  “Oh, I doubt that.” Brett chuckled.

  He walked Molly to the door, where she stopped and called across the room, “Bye Jake, Amy,” adding “bye Tina,” as an afterthought.

  “Bye, Boo,” Jake shouted back.

  Turning the door handle, Molly asked, “I’ll hear from you, then, soon?”

  Brett paused, his eyes focused on her face, as if searching for an answer.

  But Molly didn’t know the question. She pulled the door open slightly. Wedged between him and the heavy oak door, she felt so small, almost insignificant. Say something, anything, she wanted to blurt.

  “Sure, he answered slowly. Give me a day or two to think about your offer.”

  Brett watched the door close behind Molly and listened for the sound of her car starting before he returned to the living room.

  “What was that all about?” Tina asked.

  “A proposal,” Brett answered cryptically, joining her on the couch.

  “Korean Child Welfare has offered an alternative to Thayer House taking custody of Jake?”

  “No, Molly has offered an alternative, a proposal, you might say.” And a very inviting one at that, he added silently, a slow grin spreading across his face.

  “From the look on your face, Brett Cahill, this alternative must be a little, might we say, out of the ordinary.”

  “Yeah,” Brett said, still grinning.

  “Just what did Ms. Hennessey propose?”

  “Marriage.”

  “Say what?” Tina spoke so loudly she startled Jake, who was putting the finishing touch on a block tower. The blocks tumbled to the floor, punctuating Tina’s question with a crash.

  “Molly proposed that we get married.”

  “How would this help you?”

  “Molly’s certified by the county as a foster parent. She can have herself named as Jake’s temporary guardian. Then, we get married and she moves in here until the adoption is approved.”

  “Wait a minute. Why not simply have her move in and skip the marriage part?”

  Brett looked purposely askance. “And ruin my reputation?” For a moment, he thought Tina was going to pick up one of the pillows on the couch and hurl it at him. He looked around expecting to hear his sister Kate urging Tina to go ahead. She and Tina were always ganging up on him. Of course, Kate wasn’t there.

  Brett swallowed the lump that had suddenly lodged in his throat. “Tina, I think it will work. You know I’ll do almost anything to keep Jake.”

  “Maybe,” Tina said cautiously. “But, seriously, why marry?”

  “It’ll look better to the authorities than if Molly simply moves in here.”

  “Since when did Brett Cahill care about how things look to others?”

  “I guess since I became responsible for Jake and had more to think about than myself,” Brett said quietly.

  “Is that all?”

  “No,” he said reluctantly. Brett wasn’t sure how Tina would take the rest of his reason, particularly her attorney side. “By marrying Molly, I can pay her back for helping me keep Jake.”

  “Brett, just what do you have in mind?” Tina changed from friend to counselor before his eyes.

  “Nothing like anything you’re conjuring up. Once we’re married, Molly will have access to a trust fund her mother left her. It’ll give her the money she needs to buy her condominium in Albany.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Yep.”

  “Nothing else?” Tina prompted.

  “Nope. Once the adoption is approved, we’ll have the marriage annulled. Neat, simple, clean.”

  “Unless Ms. Hennessey decides she doesn’t want an annulment after all, or you decide you don’t. You can’t very well make a pre-nuptial agreement to end the marriage before it starts.”

  Brett took his friend’s hands in his. “Tina, come on. This is me. Can you imagine me actually married to anyone?”

  “No,” she conceded. “But, then, up until a few weeks ago, I couldn’t imagine you putting your entire life on hold for a baby, either.”

  “My life isn’t on hold,” Brett protested. I’m just still adjusting to having the little rug rat underfoot.” He looked fondly at Jake, who’d gone back to building his block tower.


  “Having Molly here underfoot will take some adjusting from you, too.”

  “I can’t see that it will be any great hardship.” Molly certainly wasn’t hard on the eyes, and he enjoyed her company when they weren’t arguing about KCW regulations.

  “That’s exactly what I mean, Brett,” Tina said, looking his straight in the eye as if she could read his every thought. “As your attorney, but more as your friend, you’re treading some dangerous water here.”

  “Don’t worry. I can handle it. I don’t intend to let Molly rope me into anything permanent. Give me credit for some self control.”

  Tina snorted. “Right. Would you like a little refresher of what I know about your self control?”

  Brett colored, remembering one particular evening soon after Tina’s divorce when he’d tried to push their relationship beyond the bounds of friendship. Hiding his discomfort with a grin, he quipped, “Hey, I did make you the offer first.”

  “And, again, thanks, but no thanks.” Tina stood and crossed over to where the kids were playing. Scooping up Amy, she said more seriously, “Brett, think about this long and hard.”

  “I will.”

  “And let me know what you decide. Even though I think this is a pretty hare-brained idea, I want to make sure you’re well-protected legally before you agree to anything.”

  Brett waved her off. “I promise I’ll call.”

  Tina still looked skeptical. “Amy sweetie, say bye to Jake. We have to get home.”

  “Bye Jake.”

  “Bye ‘me.” Jake waved a block at Amy.

  Tina and Amy headed toward the door. Pausing in the foyer, Tina turned, “You will be careful?”

  “I’ll be careful.”

  Brett walked over to Jake squatted next to the block pile. “Well, Bud, what do you think? Should we marry Molly?”

  Jake looked confused.

  “Boo,” Brett said. Should Boo come and live with us?”

  “My Boo.” Jake nodded enthusiastically.

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought, too.”

  Chapter Six

  Molly wiggled her fingers to get a better grip on the oversized box. What a time for the elevator to be out of order. She should have taken the computer monitor out of the box. Most of the bulk was the packing materials. Or she could have waited for someone from maintenance to bring it up to her office. But she'd been without her computer since yesterday afternoon when the monitor suddenly popped and went blank. She had paperwork piled up from last week when she'd been out sick and a slew of new reports she should have been working on this morning.