The Texas Rancher's Vow: The Texas Rancher's VowFound: One Baby

by Cathy Gillen Thacker

  Pulse picking up, she climbed out of bed and tiptoed downstairs.

  Thad had opened up the sofa bed in her living room again. He was sound asleep on one side of the mattress, one arm folded behind his head. On the other side of the mattress, toward the center, was the Moses basket.

  Michelle crept close enough to peek inside.

  William was sleeping contently next to Thad. His cheeks weren’t flushed. She touched his forehead—fever-free. Two near-empty baby bottles on the table beside the sofa indicated he’d eaten twice, three ounces each time. Which meant his appetite was coming back, too.

  She was still debating whether to let Thad sleep or put the coffee on when the doorbell rang.

  * * *

  TAMARA KELLY STOOD on the other side of the portal. The social worker’s swift, assessing glance took in Michelle’s white cotton nightshirt, bare feet and sleep-rumpled hair. “Sorry to wake you. I thought, it being a Thursday, you’d be up, getting ready to leave for work.”

  It was after 8:00 a.m., Michelle noted.

  “I was looking for Thad and William, and I thought you might…”

  Realizing this was Thad’s final surprise inspection before a formal report was presented to Judge Barnes, Michelle ushered Tamara in. “They’re both here,” she told Tamara quietly. “But William’s been sick with a virus since Tuesday and they’re sleeping, so—”

  Too late. The doorbell and now whispers had been enough to rouse Thad. He sat up and blinked as if trying to make sense of the scene in front of him.

  Recognizing Tamara, he lifted a hand in greeting.

  “Mind if I have a look around?” Tamara asked Michelle.

  Michelle gave her immediate consent. After all, she knew that since she was petitioning to adopt William now, too, she was subject to the same scrutiny as Thad. “The master bath and bedroom are upstairs, if you’d like to start there.”

  Clipboard in hand, Tamara toured Michelle’s home. By the time she came back downstairs, Michelle had managed to slip into the guest bath and brush her teeth and run a comb through her hair. A sweater plucked from the drying rack in the laundry room and a pair of slippers from the basket next to the back door made her feel a little less exposed.

  Maybe it was because he was a guy, or perhaps it was because he’d grown up without the same stifling set of expectations that she had, but Thad hadn’t even bothered to comb his hair before he strode into the kitchen. Wordlessly, he gave Michelle’s shoulders a quick, reassuring squeeze. As she smiled up at him, he smiled back and brushed another kiss across her temple.

  Just that easily, some of the tension left her body.

  “William still sleeping?” Michelle asked, realizing how wonderful it was to wake this morning and find Thad and William in the house with her, even if they had been downstairs.

  Thad nodded and set about making some coffee with the familiarity of someone who knew his way around her kitchen. A fact that did not go unnoticed by Tamara Kelly when she entered, making notes right and left.

  “Can we offer you some coffee?” Thad said.

  A buzzing sound rumbled through the house. It sounded like something was drilling through the wood floors. They all knew what it was. “Excuse me while I go get my pager,” Thad said, “It’s on vibrate.”

  Just that quickly a wail pierced the air.

  Michelle rushed to go pick up William while Thad grabbed his pager.

  As always, the infant stopped crying the moment she touched him.

  Aware that Thad was now on the phone with the hospital, Michelle carried William back into the kitchen.

  “He looks pretty good this morning,” Tamara noted.

  Michelle told the social worker what William’s pediatrician had said, concluding, “This particular enterovirus only lasts forty-eight hours, so he should be absolutely fine by this afternoon.”

  Thad walked into the kitchen. “That was the E.R. I was supposed to be off today, but there’s another wave of salmonella patients coming in. Seems everyone who didn’t come to the E.R. yesterday for treatment is in there asking for care this morning. They want me to come in ASAP. So—” Thad looked at Tamara “—can we reschedule?”

  “Certainly,” Tamara said pleasantly.

  Thad turned to Michelle. “I don’t know what time you’re planning to go into the office today—”

  “Actually I’m not. I’ve arranged to work at home today and tomorrow.”

  “If either of you are worried about the impact on the department’s evaluation if you have to go to work as scheduled,” Tamara cut in, “don’t. We have no problem with you carrying out your other responsibilities as long as adequate care is provided.” She smiled. “William’s sitter is a retired registered nurse with years of neonatal experience. She has no other children in her care. It would be perfectly fine for him to go to the sitter today.”

  “I’m his mother.” The words rushed out before Michelle could stop herself. “At least I hope to be if the court accepts my petition.” Her voice filled with emotion. “I think one of us should be with him until he’s been completely clear of fever for twenty-four hours.” Until they knew for certain that he was well again. “And since Thad has to go to the E.R. this morning, I think I should be here.”

  “I feel exactly the same way about our baby,” he stated.

  Our baby. Thad’s words brought a thrill to Michelle’s heart.

  His emotional admission did not go unnoticed.

  Tamara wrote on her clipboard.

  Thad’s gaze settled on Michelle. “So you’ll call me if there are any problems?” he asked softly.

  Once again the world seemed to narrow to just the two of them. Michelle found herself in perfect harmony with Thad. Her heart warmed. “I promise,” she said.

  Chapter Twelve

  Tamara agreed to stay and have a cup of coffee after Thad left for the hospital. Because it was also time for William’s bottle, they adjourned to the living room to talk. Acutely aware of the sofa bed where Thad had been sleeping, Michelle gestured for Tamara to take a wing chair, while she pulled up the porch rocker that was now doing double-duty inside and settled into it.

  For the first time in nearly two days, William latched on to the nipple hungrily. Michelle made sure William was comfortably situated in the crook of her arm, then looked over at Tamara as the social worker spoke. “I had an email from Thad’s attorney stating that you are joining Dr. Garner’s petition to adopt.”

  “Yes.”

  “As William’s mother?” Tamara prodded.

  “Yes.”

  “But not Thad’s wife.”

  Now came the hard part. The part Judge Barnes—and even Tamara Kelly—might not understand. “That’s correct.”

  Tamara made another note on her clipboard. “What exactly is your relationship with Thad Garner?”

  “Right now? I’d have to say co-parents.”

  Tamara wrote something else down. “Are you dating?”

  No, but we are sleeping together.

  Not trusting her voice to be even, Michelle shook her head. “If I had to characterize it,” she said eventually, when it became clear Tamara expected her to reveal something about the specific nature of her relationship with Thad, “I’d say we are friends.”

  Tamara’s glance slid to the sofa bed where Thad had been sleeping. It was clear she recalled the morning she had seen Michelle at Thad’s house when the circumstances hadn’t been so platonic in nature.

  Tamara lifted one eyebrow in mute consideration. Finally she said, “Are you planning to date each other?”

  “Dating” seemed a little redundant to Michelle, given the way she and Thad seemed to be so quickly and seamlessly blending their lives. “Probably not, under the circumstances,” she returned.

  “But you don’t know for certain,” Tamara pressed.

  Noting that William had slowed down on his feeding, Michelle removed the bottle from his mouth and sat him up on her lap to burp. Holding his chest with one hand,
she gently patted his back with the other.

  “I don’t think either Thad or I want to do anything that could undermine the sense of family we’d like to build.”

  “And dating would?” Tamara held her pen aloft.

  “Dating could make things difficult later if it didn’t work out.” Although not impossible, Michelle amended silently, since she knew plenty of divorced couples who had overcome their romantic history for the sake of the kids. She looked Tamara straight in the eye. “Uppermost in our minds is what is best for William.”

  “I can see that.” Tamara smiled as William let out a healthy burp.

  Michelle smiled, too. “We both love him dearly.” She situated the infant so he could resume his feeding.

  The mood in the room turned overwhelmingly tender. “I can see that, too.”

  Contentment flowed through Michelle as she watched William latch on to the bottle again. She offered him her little finger, and he promptly wrapped his fist around it and held on tight. Michelle gazed into his sweet, baby-blue eyes while continuing her conversation with the social worker. “Thad and I want William to have everything he needs, and we both feel it’s better he have a mother and a father even if the mother and the father aren’t married to each other.”

  Tamara sat back. She took off her glasses and let them hang from the chain around her neck. Finally she said in slow, measured tones, “Judge Barnes always reads the social worker’s report, but like the maverick he is, he doesn’t always go with our department’s recommendation. He prefers to make his own decisions, and as a judge, he has that right.” Tamara’s glance dropped to William, who had stopped sucking on the bottle and was staring up at Michelle adoringly.

  Tamara continued with a sigh, “I won’t lie to you. We have a dozen families waiting in the wings—families who’ve either already adopted, have been fostering or have been on waiting lists for a child for months. Families who know the story and are offering to give William a home, too. We’re duty-bound to report that to Judge Barnes, too, since—under Texas law—he’ll be making his decision based on what is in the best interests of the child, period.”

  “What’s in the best interests of William,” Michelle said firmly, upset at the mere suggestion they could conceivably lose physical custody of this little boy, “is for him to stay with me and Thad.”

  “I can see how much you and William and Thad have all bonded. I can see how much you and Thad love this baby.” Tamara slid her glasses back on. “But I also need to understand how this is all going to work on a practical level.”

  * * *

  MICHELLE HAD NEVER felt any sympathy for a woman who complained—after the fact—that a relationship wasn’t working when she had never told the man in her life what she wanted.

  Yet when Thad showed up at her door that evening, she found herself curbing her first impulse—which was to take him in her arms and give him a meaningful kiss. Instead, she ushered him inside and over to the Moses basket, where William was sleeping blissfully.

  Together they gazed down at William. Tenderness welled inside her.

  “What’s his temp?” Thad asked quietly.

  “Normal for the past five hours, even without acetaminophen.”

  Thad wrapped a companionable arm around Michelle’s shoulders, showing her the kind of affection she’d always wanted.

  “Looking at William now, you’d never know he’d been sick,” Thad mused.

  Michelle relaxed against Thad’s body. “Amazing, isn’t it?” she agreed. “How fast babies can get well.”

  “And sick,” Thad said.

  Michelle recalled how frightened she’d been when their little guy had first spiked a fever, how reassuring and strong and kind Thad had been. Not just to his son, but to her, as well.

  He was an excellent father. A solid man and good friend. And a tender and passionate lover. Only one thing was missing in their equation. And unfortunately, according to Tamara Kelly, that was the ingredient Judge Barnes was going to be looking for. She decided it was time to put herself out there, take a risk. She’d do it while they ate dinner. She looked at Thad. “Have you eaten?”

  He shook his head.

  “Me, neither. Want to order in some Chinese food?”

  He grinned. “Sounds…just what the doctor ordered.”

  Thinking how easily she could get used to this kind of camaraderie, she made the call while he went home to shower and change. By the time he’d returned, the deliveryman was at the door. Assured William was still dozing peacefully, they took their order into the dining room. “Candles,” Thad noticed, pleased.

  And the good silver, china and crystal. Michelle took another leap of faith. “I thought we should celebrate,” she said.

  Thad’s gaze locked with hers. “We do have a lot to be thankful for.”

  Indeed.

  “So how did the rest of the visit with Tamara Kelly go this morning?” he asked as they munched on spring rolls.

  Aware this was where it could get sticky, Michelle stirred sweetener into her tea. “She went ahead and conducted the formal interview for my home study.”

  Thad paused, chopsticks halfway to his mouth. “And?”

  Wishing she didn’t have to be the one to tell Thad, Michelle drew a bracing breath. “She had a lot of questions about our arrangement.”

  Thad leaned back in his chair and gave her a once-over that had her heart pounding. “I have a lot of questions about our arrangement.”

  A whole gamut of emotions radiated from her voice. “Me, too.”

  Suddenly Thad’s mood became as cautious as hers. “Ladies first.”

  “Well.” She forced herself to do what she did in every difficult legal situation—revert to the facts. Concentrate on what could be proved. “Okay, we’re not in love with each other, but we do have a lot going for us.”

  Something flickered in Thad’s eyes, then just as swiftly went away.

  “Like?” he prompted, a hint of worry in his low, gravelly tone.

  Michelle drew another bracing breath. Forced herself to look into Thad’s eyes. “We’re a great co-parenting team,” she stated honestly, knowing that could not be disputed.

  One corner of Thad’s mouth lifted slightly. “Agreed.”

  Mentally Michelle went down the list she had made, since the social worker’s visit. “William has bonded to us both—to the point that Tamara noticed and commented on it. So I know that will be in her report to Judge Barnes.”

  Thad looked pleased. “That’s good.”

  “But—” finding she had lost her appetite, Michelle pushed the food around on her plate “—Tamara Kelly remains concerned about how this arrangement of ours is going to work on a practical, everyday level.”

  Thad’s expression stated he had similar questions. “What did you tell her?”

  Michelle shrugged. “The truth. That we intend to continue to live across the street from each other, even if it means I have to put an addition on my house. That we’re friends. That we intend to be a family in every way that William needs.”

  “Without the wedding rings,” Thad ascertained, a funny look on his face.

  Michelle wondered if he was beginning to feel more than just a friends-with-benefits thing for her, too. But there was no clue on his handsome face. “Unfortunately that raised other questions for Tamara.”

  Thad’s glance narrowed. “Such as?”

  “She wanted to know if we were going to be dating other people, carrying on independent romantic relationships.”

  He went very still. “And you said…?”

  Michelle tensed, too, despite her earlier decision to remain cool, calm and collected during this conversation. “That we’d have to get back to her on that.”

  Thad studied her in silence, his demeanor calm. He leaned toward her, searching her eyes. “Are we going to be dating other people?”

  “I’ll be honest.” Michelle cleared her throat. “I would prefer we not. I know—” she held up a hand, as if ta
king a solemn oath “—it’s selfish of me.” She leaned toward Thad, too. “But our relationship with William is too new. We’re still trying to figure things out and get in the groove. And to add another man or woman to that would be…”

  “Messy,” Thad concurred.

  Michelle gulped. Inexplicably, joy began to bubble up inside her. “And difficult.”

  “Way too complicated,” he added. His hand covered hers.

  Sinking into the warmth of his gentle touch, Michelle had to force herself to go on. “I also know that you’re a healthy adult—with needs—and I’m a healthy adult. And we’re sexually compatible.”

  Thad grinned. He stroked the inside of her wrist with the pad of his thumb. “Very sexually compatible.”

  Achingly aware that all she wanted to do was make love with Thad—right here, right now—Michelle knew for both their sakes she had to stay on track.

  So she continued with lawyerly calm, “Well, what I am proposing is that we become sexually and romantically exclusive. We can tell the court that we’re not seeing anyone else but each other, and that, as William’s parents, we are in a committed relationship.”

  Thad nodded enthusiastically. Still, he countered, “You know what Judge Barnes is going to ask. He’s going to ask us why we don’t just get married.”

  Was it her imagination? Or did Thad want to know the answer to that, too?

  “We’ll tell him we’re both a little too independent for that, that we like having our own space. So—as I told Tamara today—to avoid confusing William with that, we’re planning to do the whole bird-nesting thing.”

  Thad appeared as if he had forgotten completely about that. “Right,” he said after a moment.

  Once again Michelle forced herself to push on. Just because she wasn’t getting what she wanted—Thad, wildly in love with her and asking her to commit to him for all the right reasons—did not mean they could not be happy. Because the past few days they had demonstrated that they could.

  Michelle withdrew her hand from Thad’s and resumed eating her dinner. “Of course to really make that a viable option, we’ve got to finish the nursery at your house as soon as possible and start implementing our whole nesting process.”