Designated Daddy

by Jane Toombs

  “The Adams Ranch,” Steve said from the front seat.

  He parked by the side of the house, next to a bright red sports car and a rather beat-up Jeep. Before she could as much as open the side door, a bevy of children ran toward the van, followed by a toddler doing her best to catch up.

  She slid open the door and a boy and girl climbed in. “I’m Danny,” the boy said. “Are you Victoria?”

  She smiled at him, nodding. “What’s your name?” she asked the dark-haired little girl.

  “Yasmin. Can I see the baby?”

  As Victoria lifted Heidi from the carrier, a child called from outside, “Danny, come see the funny dog.”

  Danny jumped out but Yasmin stayed inside, gently taking hold of Heidi’s fingers. “We got twins,” she said. “One’s a girl and one’s a boy.”

  Victoria remembered Steve telling her about—was it Talal’s?—twins. If so, Yasmin must be his adopted daughter. When she failed to remember his wife’s name, she realized she was going to have a lot of sorting out to do.

  “Aunt Tee’s gonna have a baby pretty soon,” Yasmin confided. “What’s this one’s name?”

  “Heidi.”

  Yasmin smiled. “That’s a name from a book our teacher read us in school. That Heidi lived in mountains just like ours, with goats. Papa might get me one. We got lots of room where we live now. Come on, I’ll take you in Danny’s house ‘n’ you can see my babies.”

  By the time Victoria, holding Heidi, stepped out of the van, the adults were there. Zed and Talal she recognized right off—it was hard to miss identical twins, even if she didn’t yet know which was which.

  She was swept into the house amidst a flurry of introductions. Steve and the twins didn’t come in.

  Evidently seeing her confusion, one of the women said, “I know just how you feel. When I arrived here with Talal and Yasmin, I didn’t know what to expect. You’ll soon get used to us. I’m Linnea, by the way.”

  One pair matched up, Victoria thought thankfully. The blond woman looked faintly like Steve, so she must be Karen, Victoria thought. Married to Zed. Which meant the one with auburn hair was the twins’ sister, Jade.

  She glanced at the lone man and he smiled, saying, “You can call me Nate, Nathan or Doc—I answer to all three.”

  Jade’s husband. All matched up now.

  “We have an empty cradle for Heidi,” Karen said, leading Victoria from the kitchen to the living room.

  The cradle looked brand-new, nothing like the antique Heidi had slept in at the cabin. After Victoria eased the baby into it, Karen pushed a button and the cradle began to rock slowly back and forth.

  “When Talal took our old family cradle for one of the twins, he insisted on buying us this new one. I’ll admit it comes in handy for visiting babies.” She gazed down at Heidi. “Her hair’s the same color as yours. How interesting.”

  “Kim—her mother—had red hair.”

  “I remember her as Francine but I know she changed her name to Kim. The poor girl never did really understand my brother.”

  “I think maybe at the end she did,” Victoria said. “Kim knew Steve would take care of her baby.”

  Karen nodded. “I’d like to talk with you about it later, when we can be alone. I’m glad Steve had enough sense to choose someone like you.”

  To take care of the baby was what Karen must mean.

  The three other men came in then, laughing.

  “Strangest dog I’ve ever seen,” one of the twins said.

  “Joker’s the smartest one you’ll ever see, as well, Zed,” Steve told him. “Look how quick he made friends with your so-called guard dog.”

  “That mutt has never guarded anything in his life,” the other twin, Talal, put in. Victoria caught his faint accent.

  Good, now she could identify them.

  Fatigue and jet lag set in during the cold supper and everything seemed a blur after that until Steve ushered her into the bedroom that would be hers. The cradle had been brought in and Heidi was sleeping peacefully inside it.

  Steve left her with no more than a quick good-night, which suited her perfectly. She crawled into bed and was asleep before she had time to blink.

  Steve woke to sunlight slanting in through the edges of the blinds. Nevada. No way to miss the brightness of that sun. He lay quietly for a minute or two, savoring being here at the ranch. His sister and the rest of the family had liked Victoria, no mistake about that. But then he’d known they would. Who wouldn’t?

  He rolled out of bed, showered and dressed, then made his way to the kitchen where Karen was stirring batter in a bowl.

  “You’re in luck,” she said. “This is pancake morning.”

  “Everyone keeps telling me how lucky I am.”

  “Well, you are. Nothing else explains how you ever had enough sense to not only find someone like Victoria but to grab her before she was taken.”

  “I hired her to take care of Heidi.”

  Karen nodded. “It couldn’t have taken you long to realize you’d found more than a baby nurse—I know I don’t have a dimwit for a brother.”

  Steve thought that one over. Of course Victoria was more than Heidi’s caretaker. Meant more to him. A helluva lot more. She must know that.

  His sister smiled at him. “I could tell as soon as I met her and saw you two together that this time you really did know what you were doing.” She put down the bowl and hugged him. “To think that the two of you will be raising poor Kim’s baby does my heart good. Heidi’s a sweet little girl and it’s obvious Victoria adores her.”

  Somehow the moment had passed where he might have stopped Karen by saying, “Hold your horses, kid, you’ve jumped on the wrong cayuse.”

  Forget the horses, she was railroading him. No, she’d already done it. Or had she? Maybe he’d done it to himself. Just what did he want here?

  Better get some air, Henderson, he told himself. Clear your head. “Going to take Joker for a walk before I eat,” he said to Karen.

  She slanted him a look. “That means I’ve thrown you a ball you don’t want to catch. Better make that a long walk, brother of mine.”

  Victoria brought Heidi with her when she came into the kitchen.

  “I’ve unearthed Erin’s baby seat for her,” Karen said pointing to where it sat on a bench next to the table.

  “My seat,” Erin said from her high chair.

  “Yes, it was, but now you’re a big girl so it’s Heidi’s turn to use the baby seat,” Karen told her.

  Erin, Victoria knew by now, was the toddler she’d seen yesterday—Zed and Karen’s daughter.

  “I sent my brother off to have a chat with Joker,” Karen said. “Men tend to be dense sometimes.”

  “You won’t find me arguing.” Victoria couldn’t help but wonder, though, just what Karen had said to Steve.

  “Luckily dogs give good advice by not giving any,” Karen added. “He’ll come back enlightened. Poor Kim was a mistake. We all knew it before Steve caught on. Time does mature most men, though.” She smiled at Victoria. “Even my brother.”

  “In what way?” Victoria asked, unable to control her curiosity.

  “He picked you this time.”

  “But I- he- we’re not—”

  “Give him a few more hours, okay?”

  Danny, accompanied by a compactly built small boy, ran into the room. “Pancakes ready yet?” he asked.

  “Soon.” Karen turned to Victoria. “Did you meet Tim last night? With the kids all over the place, I can’t be sure. Tim slept over with Danny.”

  “Hi, Tim,” Victoria said, trying to place where he fit in.

  He smiled shyly at her and then came up to touch Heidi’s hand. “Pretty soon I get to have a baby, too,” he said.

  So he had to be Jade and Nathan’s adopted son, Victoria thought.

  Her expression must have given her away because Karen laughed. “There are a lot of us and it makes things confusing, doesn’t it?”

  “You’ve g
ot that right,” Victoria admitted ruefully.

  Karen glanced at the two little boys. “I’ll call you when it’s time,” she promised, and they ran off. Turning back to Victoria, Karen said, “Steve’s inclined to be closemouthed. How much did he tell you?”

  “I know that Danny is the son of your cousin, now dead, and Talal. I’m rather confused about the rest.”

  Karen nodded. “Then you heard I was named Danny’s guardian. Unfortunately, my cousin never did tell me the name of the man responsible for her pregnancy—all I had was a picture of him. When I came looking for Danny’s father I thought it had to be Zed. At that time he didn’t know he even had a twin. Confusion reigned.”

  Victoria shook her head. “I can imagine.”

  “Eventually Talal surfaced and we learned about how the twins were separated when they were three. Talal was left behind in Kholi after their father died and their mother escaped back to the U.S. with Zed. She was pregnant at the time. Neither boy was ever told he had a twin. Since Talal had to go back to Kholi after Zed and I married, he left Danny here for us to raise. Then we had Erin.”

  “I think I’ve got that sorted out. Talal then married Linnea, right?”

  “They came together because of Yasmin and wound up adopting her when they married. After what they’d been through, we were all so thrilled they had the twins.”

  “Jade is Zed and Talal’s younger sister, isn’t she?” Victoria asked.

  Karen nodded. “We were beginning to believe Jade would never find the right man but then she met Nathan when they both stopped to help at an accident scene. That’s how they came to acquire Tim—he’s such a sweet little boy. Still following me?”

  “You’ve made things a lot clearer. Thanks.”

  Karen smiled at her. “Now we’re waiting for Steve to get smart.”

  Victoria didn’t comment, sure that whatever she said wouldn’t deter Karen, who seemed to be firmly set on believing there was something between Victoria and Steve. Which there was—or had been, anyway. But not what Karen thought- Victoria repressed a sigh.

  After breakfast, Talal and Linnea arrived with their nine-month-old twins, Shas and Ellen, whose lively antics distracted everyone. Talal escaped almost immediately, claiming he was off to find Steve.

  Between retrieving one crawling twin or another from imminent disaster, the women discussed babies, which Victoria enjoyed in a mournful sort of way, unable to forget she’d soon have to give Heidi up.

  To switch the topic, Victoria told them about Willa.

  “Oh, I think I know the very place, karen said. ”It’s fairly isolated but you say that’s what she wants. Give me her address and I’ll write her.”

  When Steve returned, Karen gave him the pancakes she’d kept hot for him. After he’d eaten, he went out to the rental van and drove to the nearest pay phone. He needed to talk to Mikel.

  The day passed without him being able to spend any time alone with Victoria. She seemed to constantly be involved with one or another of the kids or the women. Not that he’d figured out what he’d say to her if they had been alone.

  At least she was herself again, laughing and friendly. The way he liked her, the way he was used to her being. She was fun to be with, not only because she put her heart and soul into everything she did, but because she carried a joyousness with her. She loved life.

  And he loved her.

  The truth struck him with the force of a 7 on the Richter scale, knocking him off balance, setting his mind askew. When he finally came to terms with the idea, he realized he now knew exactly what to say to her when and if he finally got her alone.

  As dusk eased into true darkness, Steve found the opening he needed when the kids finished the game of croquet Victoria had been refereeing. Before she could rejoin the adults, he said, “Joker misses you. Why don’t you come with me while I take him for a walk? Especially since I haven’t ordered you to.”

  That earned him a smile. “It takes time, but you do learn,” she told him.

  The cycle of the moon had gone far past its romantic phase, so he couldn’t count on moonlight to sway her. Karen’s side garden near the gazebo would have to do. He let Joker take the lead, aware from earlier today that the duck pond just beyond the gazebo intrigued the dog, and so that’s the way he’d choose to go.

  He’d forgotten how sweet the scent of roses was until their perfume surrounded them. “Sit,” he told Joker when they reached the gazebo. “Stay.”

  The dog looked longingly toward the pond but obeyed as Steve led Victoria up the two steps to the gazebo and sat down with her.

  “What a peaceful place,” she said. “I could sit here forever and smell the roses.”

  He found it hard to blurt out what must be said, so he started with Mikel’s promise. “I have a surprise for you.”

  “Will I like it?” she asked.

  “Yes. I know you find Mikel Starzov ruthless, but he’s the best agent in the business for following icecold trails with incredible results. As his present to us, he’s promised to find out what happened to Renee. If anyone can, Mikel’s the man.”

  “Renee? He’s going to look for Renee?” Victoria sounded totally confused.

  “You need closure, and whatever he discovers will bring you that.”

  “Closure. You mean maybe Renee is dead.”

  “No one knows if she’s dead or alive. That’s what’s bothering you. You need to find out. So when he gets here you’ll have to put up with him picking your brain for everything you can remember.”

  “Mikel’s coming here?”

  “I invited him. He’s bringing Bevins.”

  Steve could almost feel Victoria examining this from every angle, the way she did with anything that puzzled her. He anticipated her next question.

  “Didn’t you say it was his present to us? Why us? You’re his friend, not me.”

  Steve smiled. “I haven’t gotten to that yet.”

  “To what? Just what are you keeping a secret from me this time?”

  “In a minute. Listen, I think I heard a coyote.”

  A faint wail rose from the distant hills and he said, “Old man Coyote salutes the night. Or so Jade’s Paiute tales go.”

  From much nearer, another coyote took up the call.

  “How wonderful,” she said. “I’ve never heard coyotes before. It sends shivers down my spine.”

  He took her hand. “You’ve never heard me say this before, either. I love you, Victoria. I came to the realization today that life isn’t worth living without you sharing it with me. I want to marry you.”

  “I—I—” she began.

  “Wait. Hear me out. I know I’m too secretive about things that don’t matter. I’ll try to overcome it, but to be honest, I don’t know how much I can change.”

  “Now I really have shivers,” she said.

  “The question is, do you want to marry me?”

  “Be warned,” she said slowly, “that I’ll keep nibbling away at that secretiveness, but no matter how closemouthed you stay, I’ll love you anyway. I can’t help it. As for marriage, how else can we give Heidi a mother and a father?”

  He pulled her to her feet. “Look here, milady, that may be a plus, but it’s not the reason I’m marrying you.”

  “It’s not? Whatever for, then, sir? I simply can’t imagine.”

  Moon or not, he had his moonlight Victoria back. Rejoicing, he pulled her into his arms. “I’m not always closemouthed, lady of mine. Here’s a sample of what you can expect—with more to follow. On a regular basis.”

  As he lowered his head to kiss her, a coyote wailed again. Victoria caught a glimpse of Joker raising his muzzle skyward and heard him answer the call of the wild.

  Victoria responded fervently to her lover’s kiss, knowing only Steve could evoke and then satisfy the wildness that lay in her own heart. He was her mate as she was his. Forever.

  Chapter Sixteen

  On a late morning in July, Steve dropped the last of the Sunday
paper to the floor and stretched. Victoria looked over at him and smiled. “Lazy days in beautiful Vienna, right?” she said. He grinned at her. She’d gotten a real charge out of the name of this town in Virginia where, after they’d married, he’d bought the first house either of them had ever owned. His pleasure, at the moment, came from seeing the two redheads in the other lounge chair, his wife and their daughter. His two loves.

  “Oh, oh,” he said a moment later, watching Heidi as she squirmed down off Victoria’s lap and toddled toward the couch where the cat lay sleeping. He shook his head. Either Heidi was immune to cat germs or Bevins didn’t have any lethal ones.

  Before she quite managed to get the cat’s tail in her mouth, Bevins got up from his sprawl on the couch and leapt onto its back, out of Heidi’s reach, gazing down at her with that supercilious look cats are born with.

  Victoria not quite successfully muffled her laughter and Heidi turned to glance at her mother. “Bad Bins,” she accused.

  “Bevins doesn’t like to have his tail bitten,” Victoria pointed out.

  Joker ambled into the living room, leash in his mouth, and stared expectantly at Steve. Heidi took one look at the dog and toddled over to her father. “Walk!” she demanded.

  “Why me?” Steve wondered aloud, aware Victoria would list all the reasons why him. It had become a family ritual they both enjoyed.

  What he really wondered was how he’d gotten along before the two redheads and all these animals had burst into his life. It was as though his existence had segued from black and white into living color. He’d never expected to be so happy.

  Victoria watched with amusement from the window as the trio made their way along the sidewalk away from the house. Heidi always insisted on walking by herself, saying “Me do!” until she grew tired enough to be carried, so Steve was hard put to accommodate the slow toddler and the eager dog wanting to go faster.

  Though Steve still worked for the agency, Victoria hadn’t gone back to work at Kinnikec Hospital. Instead, she’d taken a part-time job at a local community college as a nursing instructor. She found she enjoyed teaching and it left her more time for her family.