“Are you a lawyer or something?” the waitress whispered when they were out of hearing range of the other people.
Sure, why not? “Yes I’m a lawyer. Sarah needed my services and asked me to meet her here today. She said she would be working today,” Robert said, playing along. The look on the waitress’s face told him he wouldn’t find Sarah there today.
“I’m sorry, sir. Sarah isn’t here. We haven’t seen or heard from her in about a week. We are all really worried about her though. I just hope there is nothing wrong with her or the baby.”
Baby? What baby? Robert wanted grab the waitress and shake her to get her to tell him what the hell she was talking about. “Sarah didn’t tell me she had a baby,” he said calmly, like it didn’t matter to him.
“Oh, not yet. She was pregnant, but she hadn’t had the baby the last time I saw her.”
Robert didn’t think the waitress could have shocked him anymore if she’d tried. Sarah was pregnant? Is that why she’d left him? Was the baby even his? Yeah, he had no doubt, if she was pregnant, the baby was his. Sarah was not the type of person to cheat. How had he not noticed she was pregnant though? Robert had to find out.
“What’s your name, sir? I will tell Sarah you came by if I see her.”
Robert left without acknowledging the question. He didn’t need the waitress alerting Sarah that he was looking for her. He stopped when he was down the sidewalk from the restaurant. He needed to think. If Sarah was pregnant, she was going to need money to raise the baby. Robert didn’t think Sarah would just leave her job without telling someone unless something was wrong. If something were wrong, the first place Sarah would go would be the hospital. He didn’t know how far along she was or even if it she was truly pregnant, but Robert figured he had nothing left to lose by checking the hospital for Sarah. With more energy and hope than he’d had in the past couple days, he turned toward the hospital.
As he walked, Robert had time to think about his life. It said something that a woman he’d lived with for six years was able to hide something as important as a pregnancy from him. What did that say about him? He was slacking. In the past, nothing like that would have ever slipped past him. He knew he was not the best person in the world, and based on the situation he was in now, he had no choice but to admit he had a gambling problem. Okay, not necessarily a gambling problem, but he did need to lay low for a while. What really got to him was the fact that, if Sarah was really pregnant, she was willing to keep him away from his child. That would never happen. He had no need for a baby, but it was the principle of the matter. There was no way he would let Sarah take something of his away from him. If the baby was his, maybe he could find a way to make things work in his favor. He would let Sarah have the little rug rat, but she would have to pay him to make him go away. Ten grand plus interest sounds like a reasonable amount to me.
Robert’s first task when he arrived at the hospital was to make his way to the nursery. He didn’t stop to ask for directions, so it took him a few wrong turns to find it. He didn’t want anyone to know he was there until he came up with a plan. Because of this, he tried to stand out as little as possible.
When he arrived at the nursery, he stood staring at the window watching all the babies. None of them looked like him at all. Red hair was a dominant gene in his family, and none of these babies had anything resembling that. Robert had no doubt that any child of his would have his looks. It was possible that Sarah hadn’t even had the baby yet, if she was truly pregnant, but he wanted to make sure. He stood there a few more minutes trying to come up with a plan. He knew there was no way he could just walk up to a nurse and ask for information. They would never tell him anything. Robert needed a way to find out what he needed to know without drawing attention to himself.
After a few more minutes of staring, Robert made a decision. He got back on the elevator and quickly went to the gift shop he’d passed on the way up. After getting balloons and a stuffed bear, he headed over to the nurses’ station and tried to put his most innocent expression on his face. Although he knew there wasn't even the slightest chance of him getting information from one of the nurses, he had to try. Sometimes the easiest route was the best.
“Hi,” he said, smiling when the nurse looked up from what she was doing. “I'm a friend of Sarah Burrows. I was told she was here. I've been out of town for a few days, so I came as soon as I got in this morning.”
The nurse looked up at Robert and narrowed her eyes. He knew what she saw. A guy that looked like he just got done being tortured. If she only knew. He stood there like he had every right to be there and waited until the nurse got finished. After eyeing him from head to toe and then eyeing the balloons and bear he carried, she sat down and punched something in her computer. The expression on her face let him know Sarah was definitely there or had been there. He just needed to figure out a way to get the nurse to tell him where she was now.
“I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t have a Sarah Burrows here.” The nurse looked back down at her charts, dismissing Robert.
“Listen, ma’am. I just spoke with Sarah the other day, and she said she was headed here because she was having pains and thought she might be in labor. Now like I said, I was out of town. I rushed here as soon as I could, but I’m worried about her because I can’t get in contact with her. If you have any information about where my fiancée is, I would greatly appreciate it if you would tell me.” Robert let one tear flow down his face, effectively putting the cherry on top of his little performance.
It wasn’t hard to come up with the tears because his ribs were screaming in pain at the moment. He hoped the nurse would take pity on him when she saw him crying, and it seemed to be working. The nurse sighed and laid her charts down. She typed something on the computer again and then looked up at him.
“I’m sorry, sir, but Sarah did check in a few days ago, and it looks like there were complications with her pregnancy. I’m sorry to inform you that she didn’t make it.”
Well damn. That was the last thing he expected to hear. She hadn’t made it. Now what was he supposed to do? He needed Sarah to help him cover his debts. Without her, he was as good as dead. This was just like something the bitch would do just to spite him. He hoped she was rotting in hell.
“The baby survived,” the nurse said, trying to comfort him, mistaking his silence for sadness or shock.
What was he supposed to do now? He didn’t care if the little brat survived. Robert had no use for it unless it could magically sprout money. He needed Sarah for his plan to work, but maybe he could make it work without her. How many people wanted babies and couldn’t have them? Well, Robert had one, if he could find it, and he was pretty sure he could find someone willing to pay to have it.
“Where is my baby?” Robert said, trying to sound as heartbroken as possible. He deserved an Oscar for the performance he was putting on.
The nurse hesitated then wrote something on a piece of paper and came from behind her desk. She motioned for him to follow her and led him to a small private room.
“I could lose my job and get into big trouble if they find out I gave you this information,” the nurse said once she shut the door behind her. She handed him the slip of paper but kept her grip on it when he tried to take it. “This is the name and address for Sarah’s brother. She named him guardian of the baby, and he took her home with him. If anyone asks, you never spoke to me.” The nurse left the room without giving him a chance to respond.
Robert had known Sarah had a brother she hadn’t spoken to since she left home. What he didn’t know was that she was in contact with him or even knew where to find him. It pissed Robert off that she’d given his baby away without even telling him he was going to be a father. Of course he wouldn’t have wanted anything to do with a baby. Still, he had a right to know. Looking at the piece of paper, he read the name and local address of Sarah’s brother. He knew nothing of the man, so he needed to do some research and come up with a plan before he approached him.
He strolled out of the hospital with a new mission. He just had to avoid Mr. Porello and his goons for a few more days while he researched Sarah’s brother and found someone willing to buy a baby from him. The last task was going to be the hardest. It wasn’t like he could place an ad in the local paper advertising a baby for sale. This was something he was going to have to ask around about and fast.
* * * *
Nadia was a wreck. Her nerves had been on edge all morning and afternoon. How did she ever think she could do this job? It was bad enough she had no idea what she was doing, but she had to be clueless in front of Jackson. Why was he still here? Nadia wanted to ask him if he had somewhere to be, but that would have been rude. He was making her nervous though. She couldn’t even stop her hands from trembling as she changed the baby for what felt like the thousandth time that day. That included diapers and outfits. Nadia was determined that Addy was going to be the cleanest baby in town. Even she couldn’t screw that up.
“If you are just going to stand there and hover, you might as well help,” Nadia said, holding out a dirty, smelly diaper to Jackson. Maybe that would teach him to just stand in the doorway watching her.
While Jackson was off handling the diaper, Nadia quickly finished with Addison and lifted her off the changing table. She was grateful the baby so far seemed low maintenance. All she did was eat, sleep, and poop. Nadia could handle that. What she couldn’t handle was crying. Thankfully, the baby had only whimpered a few times, and Nadia was able to figure out what she needed before it turned into full-out crying.
Nadia moved slowly around the nursery, patting the baby’s bottom until she drifted off to sleep. After a few more minutes, she laid Addison in her crib. She watched the baby for a few more minutes before whispering, “You aren’t so bad,” and then she quietly crept out of the room. Nadia found Jackson leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. She could see the muscles in his jaws working as he clenched his teeth. He didn’t look happy at all. Her first thought was, Oh crap! He was finally coming to his senses after watching her with the baby all day. He’d seen just how inexperienced she was, and he wanted her to leave. Nadia hung her head and waited.
“Come on. Let’s go order dinner. The guys should be home by the time it arrives,” Jackson said as he gently gripped her by the elbow and led her down the hall.
That was not what Nadia expected. She expected him to tell her to pack her bags, not invite her to dinner.
“So you aren’t going to make me leave?” Nadia couldn’t help asking. Idiot! If he wasn’t thinking it before, now he is. Stop putting ideas in his head!
Jackson frowned down at her. “Why would I make you leave?”
“I know I don’t have that much experience working with babies. Honestly, I don’t have any. I’m pretty sure you saw that today while watching me. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to find someone better for Addison.” It was hard for Nadia to tell him that, but she had to get it off her chest.
“Listen, Nadia, from what I saw today, you are exactly what Addison needs. The baby already adores you. Do you know that today is the first day she hasn’t cried for hours at a time? That was because of you.”
Nadia was shocked. She had just thought Addison was an easy-going baby. It made her feel good to know she was doing something right.
“I know we don’t know you that well, but, judging by what I saw today, I know we made the right decision in hiring you. You are a natural with Addison. Your honesty and willingness to put her first and tell us to hire someone else, even though it would leave you homeless, tells me all I need to know about you. The job is yours for as long as you want it.
“Now,” Jackson said, changing the subject, “tell me what you would like to eat so I can get dinner ordered.”
Nadia sighed. She felt the tension leave her shoulders and smiled up at Jackson. Knowing he wasn’t going to kick her to the curb was a relief. She vowed to try her best to not screw things up.
Steve and Greg arrived home about five minutes before the Chinese delivery guy showed up. They cleared the coffee table in the living room and all sat on the floor eating and talking. Nadia was relaxed around the guys as she listened to them laugh and tease each other. From the stories they told her about them growing up, Nadia knew they were brothers in every sense of the word but blood. It didn’t matter to them that they didn’t share the same blood though.
What would it be like to grow up having true friends like they had? Nadia had a feeling she would never know what their kind of friendship felt like. There was just no way she would ever take the chance and open her heart up again. It hurt too much to have it stomped on by people just trying to use her.
“Nadia.”
She was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Jackson call her name. From the look on his face, he had called it more than once.
“Are you all right? Did we say something wrong?” Jackson asked. “We were talking and laughing, and then you just got really quiet with a sad look on your face.”
Nadia sighed. She wasn’t trying to be a party pooper. “I’m just a little sad and jealous of the relationship you guys have. I have never had that and probably never will. Just ignore me,” she said, waving her hand. “I’m sorry for bringing the mood down. I didn’t mean to.”
“It’s okay, honey. You didn’t do anything wrong. You want to talk about it though?” Greg asked as he patted her knee.
Could she talk about it? Looking at each guy and seeing genuine interest on their faces gave her courage. The guys had been nothing but nice to her since she had met them. They had given her a chance and trusted her with the most important person in their life. Nadia decided to take a chance on them. After all, they already said they’d run a background check on her. They probably already knew most of what she was about to tell them.
“I’m sure you know who my father is. Norman Cassidy was not an easy man to grow up with. Being from one of the richest, most influential families in town made things even worse. I grew up learning that the only people who wanted to be my friends were only after my money or connections. Needless to say, I got away from my family and that life as soon as I could.”
“Is that why you were living in that dump? Did you have a falling out with your family or something?” Steve asked.
Nadia wanted to be offended by Steve’s comment, but she couldn’t. He was right. “I was living in that dump, as you put it, Steve,” she said, sending a glare his way, “because I refused to take any of my family’s money. I didn’t earn that money, so taking it would have defeated the purpose of leaving. I wanted to be on my own and earn my own money.
“The dump,” Nadia said, using quotation fingers and smiling to let Steve know she really wasn’t mad at him, “was really all I could afford from my pay as a secretary.”
Nadia shuddered as she thought about her old boss. She certainly didn’t miss him and his excessive sweating. Looking over at her new bosses, Nadia was glad she didn’t have that problem with them. Although, if she were honest with herself, she wouldn’t mind seeing the three of them work up a little sweat. Preferably with their shirts off. Nadia shivered at the image in her head.
There was no denying her bosses were hot. All three had completely different looks, but all three were equally attractive in their own way. Greg was the largest of the three and certainly didn’t fit the image of a guy who sat at home and played video games all day. He was muscular from head to toe with all-American boy-next-door looks. Jackson was the complete opposite with his dark looks. He was slightly smaller than Greg but just as muscular. He was ruggedly handsome with a sense of danger surrounding him.
Steve was the shortest and smallest of all three. He fit Nadia’s image of a “nerd” most of all. He was thin but fit, and his messy hair made her want to laugh. It was his eyes that drew Nadia in though. Those ice-blue eyes were open and honest. She felt the most comfortable around Steve. There was just something about him that made her want to trust him.
/> “You could have had anything you ever wanted if you had stayed home. Why leave that much money behind?” Greg asked.
Nadia wouldn’t have answered the question if she had seen anything other than genuine curiosity when she looked into Greg’s eyes. He didn’t have that glazed-over look most people got when they were imagining what they could do with her money. He wasn’t in awe of it. He just wanted to know why she’d given it up.
“I left because I didn’t want to be like my mother. She does everything for my dad like a good little wife just so he doesn’t cut off her allowance. Can you imagine a grown woman pouting because she is being punished? It’s a sad sight, but my mother doesn’t care. All she cares about is making him happy so she can go on her next shopping spree. I didn’t want to turn into that. Cold, uncaring, and unfeeling. I call her a society robot, and I refuse to become one.”
“Sounds to me like you are nothing like your mother,” Jackson commented.
Tears stung Nadia’s eyes. He would never know how much that statement meant to her. To know she wouldn’t turn out like Eleanor Cassidy meant everything to her. Deep down, she loved the woman that had given birth to her, but she didn’t love who her mother was. Eleanor had made it clear to Nadia time and time again that she would never have been born if her father hadn’t wanted an heir. Nadia had come to terms long ago with the fact that she was nothing more than a duty to her mother. She might not have been wanted, but she was still expected to fall in line and be a good Cassidy so that she wouldn’t embarrass her mother or the family name. Image was everything to those people. That is why Nadia fought so hard not to turn into the kind of person her mother was. That is what had made it so easy to walk away from the money.
Midnight Call (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 5