“I’ll take care of my daughter’s happiness,” he said.
“Yes, you will,” she answered, fighting tears. “You’ll be a great dad. When you’re around.”
Rather than break down in front of him, she wrenched the door open and hurried out. On the way to the exit, Kate kept her head low to avoid meeting anyone’s gaze.
Then she remembered that her car was still at the shop. Well, a short walk might relieve her frustration.
En route, she called Dr. Forrest. Rather than criticizing, the pediatrician took responsibility for failing to meet with Eve. “I got called away on a case, and it slipped my mind. Would you rather I phoned her, or do you want to?”
Kate might have no choice about relinquishing Tara, but she refused to give up on Eve. “I’ll do it. What’s her number?” She tapped it into her phone. “Thanks.”
“Thank you,” Samantha said. “See you again next Thursday? We may have other girls trickling in.”
“I’ll be there.”
Before she lost her nerve, Kate pressed Eve’s number. It rang several times and went to voice mail.
She identified herself and left her phone number. “I’m sorry about lecturing you. Please call me or drop by the clinic next Thursday morning. If you’d prefer to talk to Dr. Forrest, I can set that up.”
At the garage, the mechanic, Phil, greeted her with the good news that he’d fixed the problem, and waved away Kate’s offer to pay. “Mr. Franco took care of it. I, uh, heard about the surrogacy business. That’s a brave thing you’re doing.”
She didn’t feel very brave. “It’s complicated.”
“You’re Quinn’s widow, aren’t you?” She nodded.
“Your husband and I used to bail each other out when one of us got more business than we could handle. I was real sorry to hear about his accident. Anytime your car acts up, I’ll throw in the labor for free.”
His kindness loosened the tears she’d held back earlier. “That’s very generous.”
“Didn’t mean to make you cry.” He lifted the oily rag in his hand. “Oh, sorry. Not exactly a clean handkerchief, huh?”
Kate chuckled, and felt a little better. “I appreciate the impulse.”
Phil handed her the key. “If you have any more problems, just call.”
“Thanks.” After repairing her makeup in the mirror, she started the car. It purred smoothly to life.
Heading toward Brady’s school, she supposed she ought to send Tony a note of gratitude for the repair. Or she could tell him in person at next Wednesday’s class—if he showed up.
How could a man be so sweet and yet so infuriating? Well, he’d certainly put her in her place today. I guess to him I’m nothing more than the hired help.
Forget the thank-you note.
Still, she’d chosen this role, hadn’t she? Tony was right about one thing. She should have weighed the issues more carefully before she signed the contract.
Kate forgot her turmoil the moment she spotted Brady’s dear face among a knot of kindergarteners. She collected a big hug, along with a construction-paper art project covered with autumn leaves.
“Great job,” she said, stowing the paper in the rear seat.
“Can I get a hamburger for lunch?”
“Sure, as a special treat. I’ll have one, too.” Although Kate didn’t often eat fast food, she’d saved a two-for-one coupon from last Sunday’s paper.
Afterward, Brady napped at home, and then they swung by her sister’s house. Their mother was attending a knitting class at the senior center, but Kate had to talk to someone.
She joined Mary Beth on the patio. While they watched the kids play, Kate recounted the morning’s events.
“Please don’t say ‘I told you so,’” she begged her sister. “It’s not that I want to keep Tara, or that I regret having her, either. I only wish Tony would allow me some involvement, since Esther’s out of the picture.”
“What if he remarries?” Mary Beth asked. “Once the baby has a stepmother, he for sure won’t want you around.”
“I suppose that’s true.” A man as attractive as Tony wasn’t likely to stay single forever. Sooner or later, he’d find another sophisticated, high-power woman to share his life.
“You should sue for joint custody,” her sister continued. “Then he can’t simply elbow you aside.”
“I’m not suing anybody.” Kate couldn’t face that kind of disruption or expense, or the anguish of becoming Tony’s enemy, which was probably how he’d view her. “I guess it’s lucky he turned down my invitation to Thanksgiving dinner. That would have been awkward.”
“Oh! About that.” Mary Beth broke off to pick up a tot who’d tumbled to the grass. After a brief inspection revealed only a mild bruise, the little one scampered back to play and Mary Beth returned, dusting off her hands. “I meant to tell you. Ray has to work the afternoon shift on Thanksgiving.”
Kate’s brother-in-law often arrived late or left early on holidays. “We can eat early.” They’d done that frequently.
“I’m tired of getting up at 3 a.m. to put a bird in the oven,” her sister grumbled. “We’ve decided to postpone the big meal this year. Ray has the weekend off, so we’ll fly to Lake Tahoe to visit his parents. They’re fixing a turkey dinner on Saturday. Sorry to leave you in the lurch, but it works out better for us.”
Although the news disappointed her, Kate understood. “You’ve done more than your share of holiday cooking. You deserve a break.”
“We invited Mom to Tahoe, but she prefers staying here alone for a couple of days. She says she’ll enjoy a little peace and quiet.” Leaning back in a chaise, Mary Beth closed her eyes. “It’ll be nice to have a holiday off.”
Kate ought to take it easy for Thanksgiving, too. Brady might enjoy a restaurant dinner. But what kind of celebration would it be without a family gathering?
“I’ll fix the meal at my house,” she volunteered. “I can’t get it ready early enough for Ray, but you and Mom and the kids should come.” In view of Kate’s pregnancy, surely no one would object to a few shortcuts such as paper plates and canned cranberry sauce.
“I don’t expect you to do this!” her sister protested.
“Why not? I’m perfectly capable,” Kate countered. “You may be four years older, but I’m a grown-up now, too.”
The relief on Mary Beth’s face was all the reward she could have asked for. “That sounds wonderful. I’ll help, of course.”
“No, you won’t,” Kate protested. “This is my treat. All of it. As long as you promise not to complain if I buy the pies instead of baking them.”
“I won’t breathe a word,” her sister assured her. “Wow, baby sis, you are growing up.”
“And out.” Kate patted her belly.
“You wear it well.”
Her mind flew ahead to the details of shopping and cooking. Preparing her first solo holiday meal was going to be challenging but fun.
Not nearly as much fun without Tony, whispered a rebellious voice. But then, this was likely to be Kate’s only Thanksgiving with Tara. She intended to enjoy every precious moment.
Chapter Nine
Kate spent most of Friday drawing up a menu for Thanksgiving. Although she’d intended to simplify, she couldn’t omit too many family favorites. Sausage-and-raisin stuffing. Baked fresh yams with marshmallow topping. But how could she bake the yams and the turkey with only one oven?
With careful planning, she decided. For one potential problem, though, she had no easy solution: the house’s single bathroom. How inconvenient, in view of Brady’s impatience and her own condition. Everyone would have to form a line and wait their turn. Hardly an earth-shattering dilemma.
That evening, after putting her son to bed, she started on the shopping list, consulting the recipes and trying to calculate how big a turkey to buy. Every year, she’d fixed a few dishes, but had never appreciated how much work her mother and then Mary Beth put into planning the event. Thank goodness she had nearly thre
e weeks to get organized.
A wave of sleepiness overcame Kate as she sat on the couch. Thanks to pregnancy hormones, she felt suddenly too tired even to prepare for bed, so she simply leaned back and almost instantly fell asleep.
The shrill of the phone penetrated her sleep-fogged mind. Uncertain how much time had passed, she groped for the phone and dragged it to her mouth. “Hello?”
“You have to help me!” The shaky female voice sounded young and scared.
On the point of asking who it was, Kate recalled leaving her number for Eve earlier. “Eve?”
“Duane nearly got me!”
Duane. The vicious ex-boyfriend. “Isn’t he in jail?”
“They let him out. Can you believe it? He just showed up. I slammed the door, climbed out the window and ran. Couldn’t even grab my purse. I’m outside some convenience store at a pay phone.”
“Did you tell the police?”
“I’m standing here in my bathrobe!” Eve cried. “I can’t deal with a bunch of cops, and anyway, this call used up all the change I found. Can you come pick me up?”
The girl obviously was too distraught to think rationally and too afraid to go back to her apartment. Kate couldn’t let her down again. Never mind that it was after eleven o’clock, she saw when she checked her watch, or that Brady was sound asleep.
It’s like nobody cares if I die in the street! the girl had shouted yesterday. Kate had replied that she cared. Now she meant to prove it. “Where are you exactly?”
Between sobs, Eve provided a street name and number. It was only a few miles away.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Realizing Duane might be cruising around in search of his victim, Kate added, “Stay out of sight until you see me.” She described her car. “Okay. Okay.”
After clicking off, Kate put on her shoes and went to lift Brady gently from bed. “We’re going to rescue a friend,” she told him. “You can doze in the car, all right?”
He mumbled and curled against her. Had he gained twenty pounds when she wasn’t looking, or was that the effect of her pregnancy? Kate wondered as she carted him to her car and strapped him into the child seat.
Thank goodness she didn’t have to worry about getting the ignition started tonight. She had more than enough other things to think about.
At this hour, the town loomed dark and deserted. She didn’t see anyone on the side streets, and on Safe Harbor Boulevard, most of the shop were shuttered. Despite a scattering of streetlights and the occasional glare of an oncoming car, the town seemed sunk in gloom.
The convenience store was located near the freeway, surrounded by older apartment buildings. As she turned into the parking lot, Kate noted an elderly man leaving the store with a bottle-shaped paper bag under his arm, and a couple of tattooed guys lounging against a souped-up car.
What a foolish risk for a pregnant woman to come here with a little boy, she thought. If Eve weren’t counting on her, she’d turn around and go home. Instead, she slowed and rolled around the side of the building, her tires crunching over discarded cans and plastic bottles.
Tony would advise her to call the cops, she supposed, and he’d be right. But she needed to calm Eve first. Panic and distress weren’t good for her baby, and things would be even worse if the girl panicked and fled.
The thought of Tony stirred longing and regret. Kate had hated arguing with him. She hadn’t intended to challenge him about Tara, only to share her feelings. Now he’d probably never trust her again. He’d certainly been quick to stand on his legal claims, though. Why couldn’t he relax and hear her out?
A sudden movement set Kate’s heart pounding. She braked instinctively, and nearly panicked as someone tugged at the door handle. Then, through the window, she saw Eve’s tear-streaked face.
The girl slid inside the instant Kate unlocked the door. “Thank you. I’m freezing.” Eve wore only a short terry robe against the cool evening.
“Any sign of him?” Kate asked.
“I saw his pickup cruise by, but he didn’t see me.” Eve shrank as low as the seat belt would allow, presumably trying to become invisible. “I’m sure he wants revenge because I had him arrested. How could they let him out?”
“I don’t know.” Kate supposed judges who set bail in cases like this had to follow rules, but whoever set those rules ought to be the ones threatened, so they’d understand.
“Mommy? Who’s this?” asked a drowsy voice from the rear seat.
“This is my friend Eve. Eve, this is Brady.”
Her passenger peered back in surprise. “You brought your kid?”
“I couldn’t leave him alone.”
“Wow. I’m sorry you had to bring your little boy. Sorry, bud,” she told Brady.
“It’s okay,” he muttered.
The girl pulled her robe tighter. “I didn’t mean to yell at you yesterday,” she told Kate.
“I’m sorry I reamed you out.” As she drove, she kept an eye out for a truck, but apparently Duane was searching elsewhere. “Does he have a key to your apartment?”
“Yeah. If I hadn’t heard him fumbling with the lock…” Eve shuddered. “The weird part is, I have to move out tomorrow anyway. One more day, and he’d have missed me.”
“Where are you planning to go?”
“Haven’t figured that out yet.”
Maybe Samantha knew of a social service that could help. Or Tony… But Kate wasn’t sure she dared involve him. It might be wise to keep their private lives separate from now on.
Wise. But lonely.
When they reached her house, she scooped up Brady and led the way inside. Relief radiated through her as she locked the door behind them.
Once she’d put her son to bed, she fixed two cups of herbal tea and, with Eve’s permission, relayed the facts to the police. The dispatcher promised to send officers to take a report and put out an APB on Duane.
A few minutes later, two uniformed officers, a man and a woman, arrived. The woman introduced herself as Officer Hartman and the man as Officer Franco.
Kate gave a start at the name. “You must be Tony’s brother.”
“Yes, I’m Leo. How do you know Tony?” Although his light brown hair was cut shorter, it had the same defiant cowlicks, Kate noted.
“He’s…um…” Now, this was tough to explain, she mused as her hand strayed to her bulge.
He made the leap immediately. “You’re the surrogate.”
“That’s me,” she admitted.
“Surrogate, huh?” asked his partner. “You’re carrying this guy’s nephew?”
“Niece,” Kate said. “And, yes.”
“Cool.”
Officer Hartman took Eve’s statement while Leo accompanied Kate into the kitchen to talk privately. His features reminded her so much of Tony’s that she felt instantly comfortable with him.
After she finished providing her account of the night’s events, he said, “You drove out in the middle of the night to help that girl?”
“I couldn’t let her down.”
He arched an eyebrow. “You’re certainly nothing like Esther.” His tone made it clear he wasn’t fond of his sister-in-law.
“She seemed nice when we were arranging the surrogacy,” Kate said cautiously. “I hope she and Tony can work this out.”
“Work what out?”
He didn’t know about the divorce? “I don’t think I should talk about it.”
“She bailed on him?” Leo gave a mirthless laugh. “Doesn’t surprise me. She’s a barracuda. But hey, they suit each other.”
Before she could decide on a response, his partner joined them. “Miss Benedict’s awfully shook up. I can call around to the women’s shelters, but frankly, she’d be better off with friends.”
“She can stay here tonight, Officer Hartman.” To Kate, that seemed obvious.
“You sure the perp doesn’t know your address?” the woman asked. “And call me Patty.”
“Thanks. No, he doesn’t.”
Eve peered in from the living room. “I can stay tonight? Really?”
“You bet.”
After the officers left, Kate insisted that Eve sleep in her bedroom, and found her an extra toothbrush. “People at work gave me more second-hand maternity clothes than I can wear. Tomorrow, we’ll find a clean outfit for you.”
“I can’t tell you how much this means.” The girl hugged her. They both ended up giggling because of the way they had to adjust their stomachs. “You sure you’re okay on the couch? I didn’t mean to take your bed.”
“The couch will be fine.”
Kate didn’t entirely mean that; she expected to shift around uncomfortably for a while. Yet it seemed that no sooner had she changed into her nightgown and lain down beneath a cover than she was waking up to bright sunlight.
At first she felt wonderfully rested. Then a jolt of anxiety ran through her. How could she have forgotten to set an alarm? Brady would be late for school.
“Oops! I spilled some.” His words drifted from the kitchen.
“It’s okay…not much,” replied a soft voice she recognized as Eve’s.
Memories from last night flooded in. The drive in the dark. Her visitor. And of course the fact that this was Saturday.
After folding and putting the sheets away, Kate wandered in to see what the pair were doing. Baking brownies, she discovered, from a box of mix that she’d left on the counter along with a baking pan and mixing bowl.
“You were going to make these today, right?” Eve, still in her robe, was helping Brady spread gooey chocolate in the glass pan.
“Yes. What fun’s a weekend without chocolate?” At the table, a couple of cereal boxes awaited, along with a bowl and spoon clearly set out for her. “You’re kind to do all this.”
“Are you kidding? Brady’s my buddy!”
“Wanna play with my Transformers?” the little boy asked.
“Let’s put this in the oven first.” A moment later, the pair scampered away, as if they were both kids.
After breakfast and a shower, Kate helped Eve select a pale pink maternity top and dark pink jeans that suited her coloring. While Brady watched his favorite cartoon, Kate trimmed the younger woman’s scraggly hair into a flattering style.
His Hired Baby Page 9
