Who's the Daddy

by Judy Christenberry

  “No trouble at all. With your parents at that city council banquet, it’s been too quiet here this evening.”

  “Don’t worry about cleaning up. Why don’t you take the evening off, since they’re gone. I’ll bring the tray to the kitchen later.”

  “That’d be nice, honey, but I’ll be available if you need anything.” With a nod to Max, the housekeeper left the room.

  They stood as if frozen, with Mrs. Lamb’s footsteps the only noise. Finally Caroline moved into the role of hostess. “Would you care for something to eat?”

  “No.”

  “Then what do you want, Max?” she asked in frustration.

  He stared at her, his gaze both hard and hot, a mixture of determination and desire. “You. I want you, and nothing else.”

  A part of her responded to his words, wanting to fling herself into his arms and throw care and truth to the winds. A large part of her wanted to do that. But that small nagging conscience kept tugging on her desire, telling her to wait. Damn her conscience.

  “Max, until I know the truth about—about the baby, and what I was doing, I can’t commit to anything.”

  “Then let’s figure it out, Caroline, because I’m having a hard time holding back.”

  “You could try cold showers?” she suggested, hoping to lighten the tension as her gaze skimmed his impressive form, one few women would want to resist.

  “I’m already a shriveled prune. What more do you want?”

  He’d responded with teasing, as she’d offered her suggestion, but now she couldn’t joke. “I want you, Max,” she whispered. Then, before he could reach her, as he showed every intention of doing, she added, “But I also want, need, the truth.”

  He had closed the distance between them but he didn’t touch her. The two inches between them could have been a mile, filled with frustration and confusion.

  Max took a deep breath before saying, “Surely someone knows something, Caroline. We’ve just got to start asking questions.”

  “Yes. I’ve tried, but…but I’ll try again. Someone must know something.”

  At that moment, the door to the sun room burst open and Chelsea, dressed in a silk maternity dress, holding a piece of paper in her hand, entered the room, followed by the faithful Roddy in a tux.

  “Caroline, I must speak to—oh. I didn’t know you had company. Hello, Mr. Daniels.” She waited until Max acknowledged her greeting before saying, “It’s just as well you’re here, however. Because I have something to say that you both need to hear. We can tell Prescott and Adrian later.”

  Caroline and Max exchanged startled glances. Did Chelsea hold the key to their puzzle?

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  “WHAT IS IT?” Caroline gasped, taking a step toward her sister. “Have you remembered something?”

  “Remembered something? What are you talking about?” Chelsea demanded, staring at Caroline as if she were crazy. Roddy, meanwhile, had wandered over to the tray and was sampling the snacks.

  “About my amnesia. About what happened two months ago,” Caroline explained, her gaze glued to her sister.

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I told you I didn’t remember anything. I want to talk to you about names.” Chelsea moved over to the sofa and sat down. “Roddy, come sit with me.”

  As Chelsea’s husband reluctantly followed her orders, Caroline exchanged a confused look with Max before she too sat down. She didn’t think her shaky knees would hold her up much longer. “What are you talking about, Chelsea?”

  “Names! Now, don’t tell me you haven’t been thinking about them. Why, that’s the first thing I considered.” She spread out the piece of paper on her lap and studied it.

  “Names?”

  Exasperation filled Chelsea’s face. “For the baby, of course. I’m trying to be understanding, Caro. Daddy explained that you hadn’t gotten pregnant to upstage me on purpose, so I thought the polite thing to do would be to give you a list of names that you shouldn’t consider. That way you won’t be disappointed if I select one of them for my baby, who will be born first, of course.”

  As if that would be a shock for me, Caroline thought. “I know, Chelsea. I can count.”

  Chelsea sniffed, as if dismissing her sister’s sarcasm. “What names have you already thought of?”

  The humor of the situation struck Caroline, fortunately, and she leaned back in her chair. “I’ve been too busy trying to name the daddy, Chelsea. I haven’t had time to think about names for the baby.”

  “Well,” Chelsea said, as if instructing the uninformed, “you need to consider them at once. People always ask, and you need an answer ready. Otherwise those questions will keep coming up, again and again.”

  “Like my breakfast,” Caroline muttered. Max gave her a sympathetic smile as he pulled a chair to her side, then clasped her hand as he sat down.

  “Caroline! That’s most distasteful. You’ll ruin Roddy’s appetite.”

  Since Roddy had moved the tray to the coffee table in front of him and his wife and had continued to eat, Caroline wasn’t too worried. Roddy, however, with a guilty glance at Chelsea, leaned back, away from the table.

  “See? It’s okay, Roddy. I’m sure Caroline didn’t mean to be so unmannerly.” Chelsea returned her attention to her list, and Roddy leaned forward to select another hors d’oeuvre.

  “I don’t think a week of intestinal flu could ruin his appetite,” Max muttered, leaning close to her.

  Caroline enjoyed the warmth of his smile as he exchanged looks with her. It made her want to turn into his embrace, to feel the comfort of his arms around her. She wanted to be alone with Max. But that wasn’t wise.

  “Now, I know it may not seem fair to you since you’re the firstborn, but I’ve put on my list the name Etta Mae.” Chelsea challenged Caroline with her gaze.

  “Etta Mae?” Max gasped, bending forward in surprise. “Why would she not think it’s fair? Why would she even—”

  “Max!” Caroline exclaimed, stopping him from expressing his opinion about the name, though she had to struggle to hide her smile. “That’s our grandmother’s name.”

  “Oh. Are you disappointed?”

  She loved the concern mixed with horror in his voice. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings.

  “No. That’s all right, Chelsea. You can have grandmother’s name.”

  “Well, really, Caroline, how can you just give up so easily? Haven’t you thought about it? grandmother’s sure to give a handsome gift to the great-grandchild named after her. She might even make special arrangements in her will for her.”

  Chelsea never noticed the look of amusement that passed from Caroline to Max. He relaxed against the back of the chair as he realized Caroline wasn’t like her sister. Unfortunately, he apparently couldn’t hold back his feelings.

  “You would name a child Etta Mae for money?”

  Chelsea glared at him. “An inheritance is important to a child, even if she’s too young to realize. Besides, Etta Mae is a charming name. Old-fashioned.”

  “Definitely,” Max agreed gravely, and Caroline covered her lips with her fingers, pretending to cough.

  “That’s not the only female name I’ve chosen, though. I might name her after Mother. Amelia is a charming name, also. Mother might even notice that she has a grandchild if I did that, instead of always thinking about her charities!”

  The plaintive note in Chelsea’s voice sounded all too familiar to Caroline, but she couldn’t help responding to the need in her sister’s voice. “Chelsea, she’ll notice your baby. I’m sure she’s excited about it.”

  “No, she’s not,” Chelsea said bluntly. “A friend called her the other day to discuss giving me a shower and Mother was too busy to talk.” She blinked rapidly, as if dismissing tears, before looking at Caroline. “And that’s another thing. I’m not sharing a shower with you.”

  Caroline remembered her first sight of her family. She’d wondered how anyone could love such a strange group. But she felt sorry for Che
lsea, craving her mother’s attention. Amelia only had eyes for the needy—but she was blind to the fact that her own daughter was one of them.

  “That’s all right. I’m not ready for a shower. And Mother won’t notice my baby if she doesn’t notice yours.”

  “That’s true,” Chelsea said, brightening.

  Caroline almost chuckled. She guessed misery did love company. At least, Chelsea did.

  “Now, the only other girl’s name I’m going to reserve is Madonna Louise. That way she would be named after someone important and me, too.”

  Max erupted into a fit of coughing that tested Caroline’s self-control. “I think I prefer Etta Mae,” he whispered.

  “Roddy, how do you feel about the names?” Caroline asked, curiosity filling her. He had said nothing since they arrived.

  “Hmm? Oh, whatever Chelsea wants.”

  “I see.” She carefully avoided Max’s gaze, turning back to her sister. “I don’t think we have any conflicts with those names.”

  “Oh, good. Now, about the boy’s names. He will, of course, be named Roderick Grant IV, but I’ve put several other names on the list for the future. It’s not fair for you to use all the good names just because you don’t have a husband to name your baby after.”

  “Lucky me,” Caroline agreed, unable to hold back the grin she sent Max’s way. He was silently chuckling, shaking his head back and forth.

  She was a little embarrassed at Chelsea’s reaction and only hoped Max would understand. It occurred to her to wonder how Max’s family would react to their announcement. Assuming, of course, there was anything to announce.

  “So, I’m placing dibs on Daddy’s name. After all, if I have a second boy, he’ll need a good inheritance, too.”

  “Of course. Umm, what about Roddy’s family? Aren’t there any wealthy people on his side?”

  Chelsea stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. “Don’t be ridiculous. You know Roddy’s family is one of the wealthiest in the state, along with ours. But I think Daddy should come first, after Roddy and his father. Don’t you think so, Roddy?”

  Roddy, with his mouth full of a chicken-salad finger sandwich, nodded quickly, muttering what might have been a yes. Caroline wasn’t sure.

  “Any other names?” Max asked innocently, and Caroline turned to stare at him. “I think Muhammad Ali Grant would be nice.”

  “Max,” Caroline warned even as she grinned.

  Chelsea, however, didn’t take offense. “You’re being frivolous,” she said calmly. “We would never give our child an unchristian name, but it is important that they have a name of substance. You’d better think about that when you choose your child’s name.”

  Max looked at Caroline, his gaze suddenly filled with realization, as if it hadn’t occurred to him that her pregnancy would result in a baby. But then, he wasn’t throwing up every morning.

  “I think we still have a little time to decide,” Caroline assured both her sister and Max.

  “It’s best not to wait—”

  The opening of the sun room door interrupted Chelsea’s warning. Amelia, James and Adrian entered.

  “Good evening, children. Mrs. Lamb said you were all here. Any hors d’oeuvres left, Roddy?” James asked, heading for the tray at once.

  “Yes, sir. Of course, sir,” Roddy hastened to assure his father-in-law, reluctantly pushing the tray to the end of the table near the chair James chose.

  “Good. I’m starved. From the meal they served this evening, one would think the city was on the verge of bankruptcy,” he grumbled.

  “I thought the chicken was delicious,” Amelia commented. “I’m sure it had almost no calories, once I removed the skin. You should’ve followed my advice, James, and removed the skin. You never pay attention to your calorie intake.”

  While the two older members of the new arrivals were discussing food, Adrian drew a chair next to Caroline’s other side and sat down.

  “Good evening, Caro. I called earlier to see if you wanted to accompany me to the banquet, but Mrs. Lamb said you were out.”

  She gave him a brief smile. “Yes. Thank you for thinking of me.”

  He lifted her hand from the arm of the chair and drew it to his lips for a brief caress. Max was still holding her other hand and she could feel the tension emanating from his body.

  “I always think about you, my dear. After all, we’re going to be married.”

  His assumption set up her back, but it also disturbed her deep within. He sounded so confident. And he wasn’t her choice.

  “I’m not as sure about that as you are, Adrian. I don’t think we’ve had a chance to discuss why you think you’re the father of my child.” She pulled her hand free, putting it in her lap, as far away from him as possible.

  “Do you really want to discuss our affair here? In front of everyone? That’s why I’ve kept quiet about it, of course, because you didn’t want your father to know.”

  His words had such a ring of truth to them that she almost gasped. Of course she wouldn’t want her father to know. Could she have been having an affair with Adrian before she met Max?

  “If that’s true, why did I go away for two weeks without telling anyone where I was going?”

  Adrian’s possessive gaze shifted from Caroline to Max and back again. “Is that what he told you?”

  “That’s what Mrs. Lamb told me, and Lewis, and my father and mother.”

  “Ah, but you didn’t keep it a secret from everyone. I knew where you were going.”

  “I don’t believe you,” she whispered, panic filling her voice.

  “I knew where you were going because you were going away with me. And that’s why you didn’t tell anyone. The secret, remember?” He leaned closer and smiled.

  “That’s a lie!” Max exclaimed, leaping up from his chair.

  “Caroline knows it’s the truth,” Adrian said, standing to stare at Max.

  Caroline, confused but worried Max might throw a punch at Adrian, stood also. “I—I don’t know that! I can’t remember anything!”

  “What’s going on?” James demanded, his interest drawn from the food.

  “I was just explaining to this gentleman that I’m the father of Caro’s baby,” Adrian said, nodding at his employer.

  “Great! Then we can get on with the wedding plans,” James said, clapping his hands with pleasure. “I want a wedding right away. People will count, of course, when the baby is born, but the sooner the better.”

  “It’s not that simple,” Caroline exclaimed.

  “You promised you’d marry the father of the baby, Caro,” James reminded her.

  “Yes, but Adrian has offered no proof that he’s the father of my child.” She turned to face Adrian and felt Max’s hands come to rest on her shoulders as he stood behind her. “Do you have proof, Adrian?”

  “I have plane tickets to Las Vegas for the day you left home, returning two weeks later.”

  “Do either of them have my name on them?”

  “No, just my name and companion,” he said, smiling a rueful grin. “Secrecy, remember?”

  “I think I’m going to hate that word the rest of my life,” Caroline muttered.

  “You could’ve been accompanied by anyone,” Max growled.

  “Yes, I could’ve, but I wasn’t. I was accompanied by Caroline. We’ve been, uh, dating about four months now. But she didn’t want her father to know we were involved. She said he’d put too much pressure on her to marry.”

  “Damn right,” James agreed.

  “It’s too late now, darling,” Adrian assured her, taking both her hands in his. “The baby makes things too complicated for me to keep silent.” His voice was filled with seeming concern and love.

  With Max clasping her shoulders and Adrian her hands, Caroline felt torn in two. She didn’t want Adrian to be the father of her baby. But wanting didn’t make something so. The feelings he expressed touched her, even if she didn’t want to hear them. Who was telling the truth?
/>   “This is too frustrating! Why can’t I remember?”

  “You probably weren’t getting enough vitamin B-6,” Amelia murmured. “Or was it B-12? Or maybe another number, I’m not sure. But I was reading that it could improve your memory. I’ll look for the article tomorrow.”

  Caroline pulled away from the two men’s touch. “Mother, I have amnesia from a bump on the head, not from something I ate.” She turned around to see both Adrian and Max staring at her.

  “I need proof. My memory isn’t going to work for me, so I have to have proof.” She looked at Max. “Do you have anything to show me that I spent those two weeks with you?”

  He stared at her, and she wished she could read his mind. “Only this,” he said quietly before closing the distance between them. Without another word, he pulled her against him and kissed her.

  Caroline distantly heard gasps of outrage behind her, but she was too caught up in the senses Max inflamed. The man’s touch was devastating.

  He released her and stepped back. “I have no proof, sweetheart, except that we had something special.”

  Adrian stepped forward. “Anyone can kiss a lady,” he said dryly. “Shall I demonstrate?”

  Caroline moved away to stand behind her mother’s chair. “No…no, I realize that isn’t exactly proof.” But Max had a point. His kisses were incredible. “Max, didn’t you introduce me to anyone? Or—”

  “What would that prove? I could bribe half a dozen people to swear they met you, but so could Adrian.” Max was staring at her, tension on his face, but Caroline glanced at Adrian as Max spoke. There was an acknowledgment in his face, as if that had already occurred to him.

  “True,” she agreed, studying the two men consideringly. How could she figure out who was telling the truth?

  Finally she faced her father. “Daddy, until someone offers me proof, I refuse to marry. If you’re going to be embarrassed by the presence of an unwed pregnant daughter in your house, I’ll move out.”

  “You’ll do no such thing!” James exclaimed. “No one will criticize my daughter. But I’d rather you marry.”