Who's the Daddy

by Judy Christenberry

  Sudden movement beside her drew her attention. Max, his expression grim, was about to say something. She slid her hand beneath the tablecloth to rest on his thigh, sending a pleading look his way.

  He leaned back in his chair, his gaze resting on her, questioning her, and she silently shook her head. She didn’t want a fight here and now, when she knew so little about her past.

  Most frightening of all were the chills that raced up her arm from touching him. And the desire to continue to do so. How could she want one man so much when another was claiming to be her lover?

  “I hope you prove you’re the daddy immediately,” James said to Adrian, satisfaction in his voice. “I expect to hold a wedding right away, before she has to start wearing maternity clothes like her sister. You hear me, Caroline?”

  “I’m sure everyone heard you, Daddy,” Caroline said, and forced herself to take another bite of her dinner. Though Prescott continued to sputter, no one else challenged Adrian’s assertion.

  Max asked Roddy about his position as a stock broker and her brother-in-law talked for several minutes about the stock market. Caroline started to remove her hand from Max’s warm thigh, but his left hand settled over hers, trapping it there.

  Maybe he’d noticed her dress after all.

  THE EVENING GREW increasingly strained. When dinner was finished, they returned to the sun room for coffee. But shortly after taking a cup, Max set it down on the coffee table and stood to leave.

  “Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. and Mrs. Adkins, but I have an early appointment in the morning.”

  “We’re glad you could join us,” Amelia said politely, her interest again taken with her stitching.

  “I’ll walk you to the door,” Caroline said, standing also. She hoped she might at least have a few minutes alone with him. To talk, of course.

  “I’ll go with you,” James said, walking toward them.

  “That’s not necessary, Daddy,” Caroline retorted.

  “Oh, yes, it is. I wouldn’t want to be thought rude to one of my guests.”

  The three of them left the others in the sun room and walked to the front door, Caroline fuming with every step. Once there, Max offered his hand to James and again said thanks.

  James didn’t take the hint. He stood there, a genial smile on his lips, watching them.

  “Thank you for coming, Max, and for—for helping me,” Caroline said, giving up on her father’s departure. “It didn’t turn out exactly as I planned.”

  “I know. But I enjoyed seeing you again.”

  Drat the man, he was turning to leave. Caroline grabbed the lapels of his blue suit and pulled him toward her. Ignoring her father’s stare, she moved her lips over Max’s until he abruptly took control of the kiss, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her up against him.

  She released his lapels and encircled his neck, her heart thumping in her chest as she relished the feel of him against her. When he let her slide down his body until her feet touched the floor again, she almost cried out at their separation.

  Before taking his arms from around her, he whispered a husky “Goodnight, Caroline,” kissed her briefly again, and then walked out the door.

  “Well, I didn’t know you were so bold, Caro,” her father commented, still standing beside her.

  Reluctantly Caroline closed the door and turned to face him. “I suggested you remain in the sun room, Daddy.”

  “I’m glad I didn’t. Who knows what advantage that man would’ve taken of you if I hadn’t been here.”

  Or what advantage I would’ve taken of him, Caroline thought.

  “Don’t expect me to thank you for the protection, Daddy. It was unwanted.”

  “You’d better think seriously, young lady, about taking up with one man while carrying another one’s child. Adrian might not be as understanding as me.”

  “We don’t know that it’s Adrian’s baby,” she snapped, her heart faltering at the possibility.

  “He sounded pretty sure of himself tonight.”

  “They’ve all sounded sure of themselves.”

  “Max didn’t protest. Only Prescott.”

  But he’d wanted to. She shivered as she remembered touching him.

  When she remained silent, James said, “I want this matter resolved right away. I was serious about getting you married before you start showing.”

  “I’ll marry when I’ve discovered who the father is, and not before.”

  “I have your word on it?” James asked.

  “Of course!” Only after her word was given did she have second thoughts. What if the father really was Adrian…or Prescott?

  “Good,” James replied with a smile, as if he’d won, and turned to go back to the sun room.

  “Wait! Daddy, what did we argue about two months ago?”

  He paused, as if frozen in motion, and then turned slowly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Oh, yes, you do. And I want an answer. Mrs. Lamb said we had an argument two months ago, or perhaps two and a half months. The next day I left and didn’t return for two weeks. What did we argue about?”

  “We’re always arguing, Caro. And you frequently go on trips. It seems to me the argument was something about taking up a career. Or getting married. I don’t really remember.” With another smile, he strolled down the hall.

  Caroline stared after him, her gut feeling telling her he was lying. And yet, either of those subjects might have come up. She had a feeling her father had been pressuring her about both of them. After all, she was twenty-seven. Her sister, three years younger, was already married.

  Wearily she leaned back against the door. It had been a long evening, and she didn’t feel up to returning to the sun room. She pushed away from the door and trudged to the stairs, taking them slowly.

  Having a baby seemed to sap all her energy.

  Or maybe it wasn’t the baby’s fault. Maybe it was the daddies. All of them.

  Now that she’d given her word to her father to marry as soon as proof could be found, she had to make sure the proof featured a tall, dark-haired, blue-eyed man whose slightest touch sent her up in flames.

  MAX OVERSLEPT the next morning, after spending most of the night alternating between reliving his night of passion with Caroline two long months ago and trying to figure out how to prove his identity as father of the baby.

  The ringing phone brought him awake.

  “Hello?” he growled.

  “Max, where are you?” Susan demanded, her voice bright and wide-awake.

  He checked his watch and groaned. “I was asleep.”

  “But you have an appointment with Mr. Lawson at the bank in ten minutes.”

  “Yeah. Call him and tell him something came up. Try to reschedule it for tomorrow.”

  “Okay.”

  Before she could hang up, Max said, “Wait, Susan.”

  “Yes?”

  He pondered his question.

  “Max? What is it?”

  “Did I ever talk to you about Caroline?”

  “Caroline Adkins?”

  His heart leaped. Had he talked about her and then forgotten he’d done so? Would it convince Caroline that they’d spent two weeks together? “Yes,” he replied anxiously.

  “Nope.”

  “Then how did you know who I was talking about?”

  “Jim mentioned something about her a couple of months ago, and then she called yesterday.” She paused and then, with sisterly cunning, asked, “Is she important?”

  “Yeah. And if she calls, find me, wherever I am, okay?”

  “Sure. Will I like her?”

  “Suze, call the banker, and mind your own business.” He almost hung up before he remembered one more warning. “And don’t even think about mentioning her name to Mom or Karen, or your job is history.”

  As he showered and shaved, he thought back over the two weeks he’d shared with Caroline. He’d given her the names of his design firms. If she applied at one of th
ose firms, using his name as a reference, that would be something, at least. Some proof that she knew him.

  A few minutes later, he hung up the phone with a sigh. She hadn’t called either firm.

  After their first lunch together, he’d taken her out to dinner that same evening. He could get the waiter at Mario’s to say she’d been there with Max, but that kind of proof was useless. They’d gone to the movies, to the theater one night. He’d taken time off for picnics in the foothills of the Rockies.

  Thinking she was a newcomer to the area, he’d even taken her to tour the mint. He had the ticket stubs from that excursion. But they could’ve been used by anyone.

  Ticket stubs didn’t tell about the kisses he’d stolen at the back of the tour group. Or the leisurely dinner afterward when they’d laughed about people’s reactions to cold, hard cash. Or the exquisite caresses they’d shared before he left her at her hotel room door.

  The hotel!

  Of course. At least he could prove she’d stayed in the suburbs near his office. He showered and dressed, then grabbed his billfold and keys and hurried out the door.

  A few minutes later, he arrived at the desk in the lobby of the medium-priced hotel he’d come to know well. “Excuse me,” he said to the young man with his back to the counter.

  “Oh, yes, sir. What kind of room do you need? A single?” The bright smile was perfect for PR, but Max wasn’t interested.

  “Look, about two months ago, the last week or two of June, a young lady stayed here. I need to see her registration card.”

  “I’m afraid that’s not possible, sir. That’s privileged information.” The smile was gone and a frown took its place.

  He hadn’t expected high security. “Okay, I don’t have to see the card. Just look and see if you had a Caroline Adkins registered during that time. She stayed in Room 210.”

  “I don’t know,” the man said, edging away as if he thought Max were a serial killer.

  An older man came out of a door just behind the counter. “Yes, Mike, what’s the problem?”

  Realizing the clerk had called for reinforcements by some silent signal, Max put on his friendliest smile. “I just need confirmation that Caroline Adkins stayed in Room 210 the last week or two of June.”

  “I’m sorry, but we don’t give out information about our clients.”

  “Look, I’m asking for confirmation of what I already know. I walked Miss Adkins to her room most evenings and waited until she took out her key and entered the room before leaving.”

  “If that’s true, sir, why do you need us to confirm that information?”

  Good question. Max was beginning to sweat. “Because Miss Adkins has amnesia from a car accident.”

  “You mean Caroline Adkins, daughter of James Adkins?” There was a flicker of interest in the man’s eyes that Max regretted. “She stayed here, with us?”

  “Yes. She did. Could you just check your records?”

  “And all you want is for me to tell you you’re right? I don’t have to put anything in writing?”

  The man still seemed reluctant, and Max eased his billfold out of his back pocket. The supervisor’s gaze immediately flew to Max’s hands and then to the clerk, ostensibly filing papers nearby. “Mike, go to the coffee shop and get me some coffee. I’ll cover the desk while you’re gone.”

  As soon as the clerk had walked away, Max slid a twenty-dollar bill across the counter. Without a word the supervisor pocketed the bill and turned to the computer.

  “The end of June, you said. Room 210?”

  “That’s right.”

  The excitement faded as the man worked the computer keys. Finally he turned to Max with a frown. “I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, but we show no Caroline Adkins in that room.”

  “What?” Max wanted to grab the man by the throat. “Then who do you show registered?”

  “I’m sorry. I can’t—”

  Max threw another twenty-dollar bill on the counter. “Yes, you can.”

  “We had a single woman stay in that room for two weeks. She paid in cash and registered under the name of Leslie McVey.”

  Max stared at him, stunned. “Leslie McVey? The end of June?”

  “Yes. Otherwise, we’ve only had one-or two-nighters in there. We have a heavy turnover. It’s not often a guest stays two weeks.”

  “Do you remember what Miss McVey looked like?”

  “No, I don’t. However—” he smiled at Max “—I might be persuaded to do so.”

  Great. All he needed was for the man to say Max had tried to bribe him to identify Caroline. “No thanks.”

  He strode from the hotel lobby, disappointed and frustrated. Why had Caroline registered under an assumed name? She hadn’t hesitated to use her real name with him.

  He looked at his watch and groaned. It was already lunch-time, and he’d accomplished very little. Climbing into his truck, he drove back to his office, only a few minutes away.

  “It’s about time you showed up,” Susan greeted him cheerily. “I was just getting ready to beep you.”

  “Why? A problem on the job sites?”

  “No. Caroline Adkins just called.”

  “Did you get a number?” he demanded.

  Susan’s eyes widened. “Hey, don’t jump down my throat,” she protested. “I asked and she said she’d have to call you later. Something about her not being able to tie up the phone.”

  “She didn’t say where she was?” Even as he asked the question, he remembered her intention to do charity work today. “Bring me a phone book.”

  “But she didn’t say where she was.”

  “I just remembered. The phone book!” he snapped and continued on to his office. He took a deep breath as he sat down behind the desk, hoping to curb his impatience. It wouldn’t take much to make Susan suspicious. And when his little sister suspected a secret, she was hell on wheels until she uncovered it.

  “Want me to help you look something up?” Susan offered as she entered his office, watching him as she held out the directory.

  “No, I’ll manage.”

  Several minutes later he shouted for his sister. He couldn’t find any listing for the Home for Unwed Mothers. He was sure that was what Mrs. Adkins had called it last night.

  “Yes, brother?”

  “I can’t find the telephone number.”

  She ignored his growl and took the directory with a laugh. “I knew you needed my help. What am I looking for?”

  “I think it’s called the Home for Unwed Mothers.”

  His thoughts were all centered on Caroline, but he looked up when his sister gasped.

  “Your girlfriend is in a home for unwed mothers? Wait until Mom hears about this!”

  CHAPTER SIX

  “DON’T BE RIDICULOUS!” Max snapped.

  “I’m not the one being ridiculous. Mom’s gonna have a fit if one of her grandchildren is illegitimate. Don’t you like this lady?”

  “Susan, this is none of your business,” Max advised her in stern tones. “Caroline is doing charity work at the home. She is not, I repeat, not living there.”

  “Oh, so I’m not going to be an aunt?” Susan teased, a big grin on her face.

  Her words stopped Max cold. What could he say? Yes, she’s pregnant. But no, it may not be his baby. That would make a good impression, sure to be passed on to his mother.

  “Look, Susan, I want you to forget this conversation ever took place, okay?”

  “Sure, no problem. But it’ll cost you.”

  Long years of dealing with his baby sister told him to bargain. Threats would get him nowhere. “How much?”

  “There’s this gorgeous dress I found. I really need it for my date with Stephen.”

  “How much?” he repeated.

  “A hundred and twenty dollars.”

  “For a dress? You must be kidding?”

  “No, and it’s worth it. One look at that dress and he’ll be on his knees. Haven’t you ever seen a dress like that
?”

  Yeah. Last night. He shook himself free from the picture of Caroline in the green silk. “Okay,” he agreed roughly, pulling his billfold from his back pocket. After bribing the hotel man, now he had to bribe his sister. It was turning out to be an expensive day.

  “I’ll write you a check for a hundred and fifty if you’ll go buy me some lunch before you do your shopping.”

  “Are you staying here the rest of the afternoon?” Her eyes were round with curiosity and Max had the uneasy feeling he should have protested more at her blackmailing him. It made him uncomfortable for anyone to know what a hold Caroline had on him.

  “Just until I get a few things accomplished.” And until Caroline calls.

  He pretended to do paperwork until Susan returned with his lunch. Then he munched the barbecue sandwich and let his mind return to its one constant thought, Caroline.

  When the phone rang half an hour later, he’d finished his sandwich but gotten almost no work done.

  “Hello?”

  “Max, it’s Caroline.”

  Like he wouldn’t recognize her voice.

  “Yeah. Sorry I missed your call earlier.”

  “I couldn’t leave a number because I’m calling from the home where I’m volunteering today. Anyway, I wanted to apologize again for last evening. Daddy can be difficult, you know.”

  “Yeah, I can tell.”

  “I wondered if you’d meet me for dinner this evening, so it would just be the two of us. And we could talk. My treat.”

  Max almost yanked the telephone cord out of the wall. “Are you trying to insult me? Do you think I can’t afford a dinner?”

  “No, I didn’t think that. It’s just that I invited you”

  “Regardless. I ate at your house last night. Tonight I’ll pay. I’ll pick you up at seven.”

  “Uh, Max, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I think Daddy might even go so far as to have us followed. Or if not him, Prescott might think of doing that.”

  “Not Adrian? He’s the one who’s sure he’s the father of your baby.” That had been irritating him ever since last night. Had she slept with the man? And Prescott, too? He didn’t usually feel he had the right to question his date’s past experience, but this was ridiculous.