Found: One Baby

by Cathy Gillen Thacker

  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 taking 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.”

  Thad resumed eating, too. “Anyone ever tell you that you sound like a lawyer?” He helped himself to more moo goo gai pan.

  She added brown rice and lemon chicken to her plate. “I’m serious, Thad. We have to demonstrate that we can make this work on a practical, everyday level before we go back into court next Monday. So to that end, I’m taking off work tomorrow, as well.”

  “Well, you’re in luck there, because I’m off, too.”

  “Now for the bad news.” Michelle drew a breath. So much to do. So little time. “William and I went over to your house earlier today. And while the paint fumes are completely nonexistent, the color is a little splotchy in places, which means the walls in William’s room are going to need a second coat.” She paused, hoping to enlist his cooperation. “I was thinking I could do it tonight—if you’ll stay here with William.”

  IT WASN’T THE WAY Thad wanted to spend the evening. He also knew what was at stake. They needed to get this done in advance of the hearing with Judge Barnes on Monday. So she worked all evening finishing up the paint job, and then came home and collapsed in bed next to Thad, too exhausted to do anything but sleep. Early the next day she and Thad tackled everything else that had to be done. And while they were at it, Thad worked on a very special errand of his own.

  “Hey, Thad,” Hannah Callahan Daugherty, the proprietor of Callahan Mercantile & Feed, said when Thad entered the general store the next morning. She walked out from behind the coffee bar. “Violet Hunter said you’d be coming by.”

  Thad nodded, relieved everything was going according to plan. “I assume Violet filled you in?”

  Hannah beamed. “She did indeed and your secret is safe with me. How’s the little one I’ve been hearing so much about?”

  “He’s well and home with Michelle. How are Isabella and Daniel?”

  “Great.” Hannah beamed. “Adopting them was the best thing Joe and I ever did! But you’re not here to listen to me go on about my deliriously happy family. Come on back to the storeroom. The item you ordered is in a box back there. You’re going to love it.” She pushed open the swinging double doors and led him to an oversize carton. “Both Violet and I adore ours. And speaking of Violet—you’re aware she may have taken your request for help on this issue the wrong way, right?”

  Thad knew Violet had gone all out to get the information to him. “What do you m
ean, the wrong way?”

  Hannah shook her head in mute remonstration. “You men can be so dense sometimes! Violet still has a crush on you.”

  Thad frowned, irritated to be going over the same ground again. “We tried dating. It didn’t work.”

  Hannah shook her head. “For you, it didn’t. For her, well…”

  Thad sighed. “So Violet thinks…”

  “You asked her to help find this—” Hannah pointed to the box “—as a way of getting close to her once again.”

  Minutes later, still swearing silently over the misunderstanding, Thad loaded the bulky carton into the back of his SUV, then drove the short distance home. He was surprised to see Violet’s car at the curb. He parked in the driveway, left his purchase where it was and rushed into his house.

  Michelle was seated on the sofa, folding a load of freshly laundered hand-me-down baby clothes and blankets. Violet was sitting opposite her, still in her nursing uniform.

  Their polite conversation stopped the minute he walked in.

  Violet stood. “May I have a word with you?” she asked Thad.

  Michelle looked upset. Not a good sign.

  Figuring first things first, Thad turned back to Violet. “Sure,” he said.

  Violet murmured a polite goodbye to Michelle, then walked outside. By the time Violet had reached her car, tears were shimmering in her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me that Michelle was adopting William with you?” she demanded.

  Thad hadn’t made a secret of it. “I thought you knew.”

  “Well, I didn’t. I thought—”

  Thad cut Violet off before she could say anything else. “I consider you a friend. You know that.”

  “Right.” She bit her lip.

  “I want us to be friends,” Thad continued. “I’ve always wanted that.”

  “Well, it’s not what I want.” Violet composed herself with effort. “I’m looking to get married again, Thad. I want my little girls to grow up with a father.”

  Thad didn’t know what to say to that, except, “You’re a terrific woman, an excellent nurse and a wonderful mother.”

  Tears rolled down her cheeks. “Just not the woman for you.”

  Thad’s heart went out to Violet, but he refused to feel guilty. He had done nothing wrong. Instead, he gently reminded Violet of ground they had covered before. “Violet, we don’t love each other. We never did.”

  “But you do love Michelle, don’t you?” Violet guessed.

  Thad didn’t know what to say.

  THE CIRCUMSPECT ATTORNEY in Michelle knew she should mind her own business. The emotionally involved, possibly two-timed woman in her had to go to the window and see what was going on out there.

  Whatever it was, it wasn’t good. Violet appeared to be both crying and ticked off as all get-out. Thad had that dumbfounded look men got on their faces when they were truly clueless about what was happening.

  Finally Violet appeared to tell Thad what he could do with his good intentions and stomped around to the driver’s side. Thad watched her drive off, then turned and headed up the walk.

  Michelle rushed back to the clothes she’d been sorting.

  Thad opened the door and walked in.

  He looked over at the Moses basket, only noticing now that it was empty. “Where’s William?”

  For once Michelle was glad the little guy wasn’t there with them. “Dotty called right after you left. She missed William and asked if she could see him. Once she was here and saw we were trying to get the nursery finished, she offered to take him back to her house for a few hours.” She finished sorting the bibs and started on the onesies. “It was clear William was as glad to see Dotty as Dotty was to see him—she’s the closest thing he has to a grandmother—so I said okay.”

  Thad folded his arms across his chest. He did not try to conceal his irritation. “What time are we supposed to pick him up?”

  “Six-thirty,” she said through her teeth.

  He inhaled the delicious aroma permeating the entire downstairs. “Are you cooking dinner?”

  It was supposed to have been a surprise for him. Now she was regretting it. “Coq au vin.”

  His eyes widened in interest. “That’s one of your signature dishes.”

  She lifted one shoulder. “Used to be.”

  He came closer. “How long was Violet here?”

  Michelle folded another onesie and set it on the stack. “Long enough,” she said flatly.

  Thad exhaled and ran a hand through his sandy-brown hair. “I’m sorry she had the wrong idea.”

  Michelle lifted her chin, angry all over again. “It’s not surprising she did.”

  Thad’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

  “All those secret phone calls and messages that have been going on between the two of you!”

  Shock reverberated through him. “If you thought there was something going on, why didn’t you ask me about it?”

  Michelle flushed. “Because it was none of my business.”

  He shot her a condescending look. “You preferred to jump to conclusions, instead.”

  She watched him just as steadily as he watched her. “It’s no secret how she feels about you. Everyone in town knows!”

  “Wait here.” Thad walked out.

  This time, Michelle did not go to the window to see what he was up to. She stayed on the sofa, folding clothes.

  A couple of minutes later Thad opened the door again and hefted a big, bulky carton inside. It had a big red bow on it.

  His mouth thinned as he brought it closer and dumped it at her feet. “I was going to give this to you tonight,” he said. “But I think you need to see it now.”

  Michelle stared at the information printed on the side of the carton. “A jogging stroller!” she gasped.

  Thad planted one hand on the top of the box. “It’s your New Mom’s gift,” he explained patiently. “You know, what a husband typically gives his wife after the birth of their first baby. Usually it’s jewelry, but I didn’t know if that was appropriate in our case, and I’ve never seen you wear a whole lot of jewelry, anyway.” He shrugged. “Then I figured you’re a practical woman, so why not be practical and get you something you can really use? So I got you this jogging stroller. When you want to go for a run, you can take William with you.”

  “How does Violet fit into all this?” Michelle asked weakly.

  He crossed his arms. “I asked Violet to help me because I knew she liked to run as much as you do and had tried out a few different brands of jogging strollers until she found one she really liked. So I called her to find out what the brand was, and she promised to get back to me right away with the information.”

  An array of emotions crossed Michelle’s face as Thad finished telling all the details.

  “But I couldn’t write the product information down in front of you because that would have ruined the surprise,” Thad continued slowly. “Instead, I waited until you were gone to call Violet again. Once I had the right model number, I ordered the stroller online and had it delivered to Hannah Callahan over at the mercantile, because I wanted to give it to you personally.”

  Never had Michelle made such a horrible mistake. “I am so sorry.” She got to her feet and moved around the box to examine the picture on the label and peruse the long list of features. Then she touched the top of the box almost reverently. “This is such a wonderful gift, Thad, I hardly know what to say.”

  His gaze gentled in the way she loved so much. “I want you to have it,” he told her gruffly. “You deserve it and so much more for everything you’ve done.” He stopped her before she could interrupt. “And I’m sorry that my asking Violet for help gave her the wrong idea. Just to be clear—I set her straight a few moments ago, and I’m pretty sure she now hates my guts. Which is probably a good thing. She needs to find someone worthy of her, someone who will love her for the good woman she is. It’s just not me.”

  Michelle knew that, too. “You were right to be honest w
ith her, even if it hurt. As for the rest—” she released a pent-up breath “—I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.”

  Thad wrapped his arms around her waist. “You were jealous,” he said in satisfaction, looking down at her.

  As much as Michelle wanted to deny that, she couldn’t. “I don’t want to think of you with another woman.”

  He hauled her close. “Well, that makes us even, because I don’t want to think of you with another man.”

  “Then what do you want?” she whispered, thinking she already knew.

  “You,” Thad replied, “and only you.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Up to now Michelle had promised herself that she could make love to Thad without actually falling in love with him. She’d vowed she wouldn’t let her feelings grow to the point she would be heartbroken if Thad didn’t return her feelings.

  But when his lips captured hers, she knew she’d been fooling herself.

  She did love Thad, with all her heart and soul. It was apparent in the thrill coursing through her whenever he was near. The loneliness she felt whenever he was not. It was in the complete and peaceful way he made her feel at times like this. As if there was no problem, no difficulty, no complication they could not handle as long as they were together.

  Rising on tiptoe, she wound her arms about his neck and returned his kiss. He tasted so good, all mint and man, and felt even better, the hardness of his chest and thighs pressing against her. She could also feel the hard evidence of his desire. She moaned softly as he clasped her to him and drew out the kiss until it was so wild and reckless it stole her breath.

  He slid his hands down her arms, beneath the hem of her T-shirt, to lightly caress her back. His lips forged a tantalizing trail across her neck. Then he kissed her on the mouth again, deeply and irrevocably, until she thought she would melt from the inside out.

  She moaned again, her need for him, surpassing everything else. The next thing she knew she was being shifted upward until her weight rested against his middle and her legs were wrapped about his waist.